flexform.itImage source: Carlo Colombo
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Designer
Carlo Colombo
Carlo Colombo was born in Carimate in 1967, according to Interni magazine, and received his architecture degree from Milan's Politecnico in 1993. Flexform says he went on to develop design projects with leading furniture manufacturers, and…
Biography
Background
Carlo Colombo was born in Carimate in 1967, according to Interni magazine, and received his architecture degree from Milan's Politecnico in 1993. Flexform says he went on to develop design projects with leading furniture manufacturers, and Artemide adds that he worked above all on the design and marketing of industrial products, graphics and set-ups for the best brands of Italian design.
Signature Style
Interni, writing on the first monograph on him published by Electa, says that in his design projects he proceeds through progressive reduction, eliminating the superfluous and favouring natural materials, combined with artificial substances to bring out their aesthetic and tactile qualities. His interiors and architecture stand out, it says, for pure lines and formal abstraction, firmly tied to the production of materials.
Notable Works
The same article lists the Blueberry chair for BYografia (2010), the Air table for Poliform (2009), collections for Antoniolupi, the Ball chair for Arflex (2008) and sneakers for Levi's, and names collaborations from Fratelli Guzzini to Artemide, Zanotta, Franke and Poliform. For Flexform his products are Sveva, Newbridge, Alison, Isabel, Jeremy and Gustav, alongside the Edmond sofa of 2013.
Legacy
Flexform says he was named designer of the year in 2004. In 2013 he founded the A++ architecture studio with Paolo Colombo in Lugano, with studios in Zurich, New York, Miami and Dubai, and Artemide records exhibitions of his projects in Paris, Bremen, Cologne, Milan (Triennale, 2016) and Catanzaro (2017).
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Collections
Products
Chloe Bed
Fully upholstered bed with a wrap-around headboard, designed by Carlo Colombo, 2017
Isabel Stool
A hide-leather upholstered stool by Carlo Colombo.
Gustav Coffee Table
A marble-topped occasional table whose solid-wood legs meet the surface with concealed complexity.
Jeremy Bookcase
A low sideboard balancing open glass compartments with concealed wood storage.
Park Bench
A padded bench with a painted-metal frame, designed to accompany Park bed.
Alison Outdoor Armchair
Carlo Colombo's Alison Outdoor armchair: a curved extruded aluminum structure, easy to move.
Alison Outdoor Sofa
Carlo Colombo's Alison Outdoor sofa: a curved extruded-aluminium frame, as a two- or three-seater.
Sveva Light Outdoor Armchair
Carlo Colombo's Sveva Light Outdoor: molded polyurethane shell on a cast aluminum swivel base.
Alison Armchair
Colombo's 2018 Alison armchair: curved solid wood frame, saddle hide seat back, padded seat
Edmond Sofa
Colombo's 2013 Edmond: a tubular metal structure that shows from front and back
Gustav Table
A dining table in eight round and rectangular formats with solid-wood framing and marble tops.
Iseo Table
A four-legged metal dining table supporting a thin rectangular top in marble or wood.
