Coupé

Overview

Giampiero Tagliaferri's Coupé for Minotti is a seating system of overlapping rounded volumes, with an inclined seat plus padded headrest and lumbar cushion elements. The seating elements can be joined or used on their own, and one of them is a couch with a double inclination. A curved aluminium frame follows the front and back of the upholstered base.

Image source: Minotti — Coupé · © Minotti and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy

Construction

Plywood is the structure. The seat has high-resilience polyurethane foam around a centre of steel pocket springs, and the backrest, arm and headrest are foam wrapped in high-loft fibre and cotton canvas. The base carries a curved drawn aluminium frame, polished brushed or varnished in Black Coffee or Birch Grey, on polypropylene feet. Fabric and leather upholstery both come off completely.

Specifications

Coupé sofa 240 cm: 240 cm wide, 109 cm deep and 68 cm high. Standard feet are 45 mm high, and 7.5 cm feet are available on request. FSC® certified wood parts are noted on the page.

Looking back and forward

Tagliaferri calls Coupé a seating experience that is nostalgic and forward-looking at once, with classic forms seen through a contemporary lens. Minotti points to an unmistakable 1960s and 1970s influence in the overlapping rounded volumes.

Seating that embraces

In Tagliaferri's words the project rests on deep respect for the past and honours an era when sofas wrapped the body through inclined seating. Minotti singles out couture-inspired details, such as the tone-on-tone stitching of the leather version, which runs lengthwise from the headrest over the backrest buttons and down to the seat.