Image source: B&B Italia — Charles Outdoor
© B&B Italia and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research.
Charles Outdoor
Antonio Citterio's outdoor Charles sofa: aluminium frame with a woven polypropylene exterior.
2340 × 720 × 1000 mm
2010
Official product information
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Description
Overview
Charles Outdoor is the outdoor version of Antonio Citterio's Charles sofa system. B&B Italia dates it 2010 on the product page and the sheet, and says it keeps the quality of the indoor design project, including the slim frame, the flexibility and the signature feet shaped like an inverted "L". What sets it apart is a lightweight aluminium frame inside and, outside, a surface made of an open interlacing of polypropylene ribbon.
Image source: B&B Italia — Charles Outdoor · © B&B Italia and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy
Construction
The frame is tubular aluminium with aluminium profiles, interlaced with polypropylene fibre. Seat cushion: shaped polyurethane, water repellent polyester fibre cover. Back cushion: polyester fibre, again with a water repellent cover. Powder-painted (polyester) die-cast aluminium forms the feet, the ferrules are thermoplastic, and the sheet lists a waterproof cloth of PES fabric carrying a PU coat on one side. The cover is described as "fabric in limited categories".
Specifications
Sofa CHO234: 234 cm wide, 100 cm deep, 72 cm high, seat height 40 cm.
Story
Two versions of one sofa
The page's Concept text says the design of Charles lies in the details, from the upside-down L-shaped feet to the thin, raised base, and notes that it comes in two versions, indoor and outdoor.
What the outdoor version keeps
According to the page, the outdoor edition holds on to the quality of a project made for interiors. Its core is described as light, solid aluminium and its exterior surface as a polypropylene tape woven in an orthogonal pattern, which the text sums up as a seating system with timeless elegance.
Image source: B&B Italia — Charles Outdoor · © B&B Italia and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy
More by Antonio Citterio
Hera Chair
Antonio Citterio's 2018 armless dining chair with a polymer shell and metal or wood feet
Repos Ottoman
The matching Repos footrest with a removable cover and four-star base
ID Air
Antonio Citterio's ID Air: an office chair with a one-piece perforated plastic backrest
ID Mesh
Antonio Citterio's ID Mesh: a spacer-fabric net backrest on a slim two-part frame
Collection
Charles
Charles by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia (1997): a sofa system on inverted-L die-cast aluminium feet, with Carré, Large and Outdoor editions, bed and tables.
