Ragno, the most elegant and eccentric coffee table designed by De Carli of the 1950s
By Athina
The Design Icon of the week is crafted from beechwood stained mahogany with a circular glass tabletop. Nothing special, you might think, but instead…
What makes this coffee table an extraordinary piece is its unique “arachniform” structure. Graceful, refined, with its slender and harmonious forms, it might be more akin to a work of art than a piece of furniture.
In particular, the top view is striking: with the transparent tabletop, the radial supporting structure is visible, which is aesthetically stunning.
Ragno is one of Carlo De Carli’s most intriguing contributions to the design of furniture elements. A designer, architect, and academic, De Carli was a key figure in 20th-century European architecture and design.
The theoretical principle underpinning his work is the concept of “Primary Space.”
Architecture is understood as the process of “creating space” to host human life. This involves rejecting a strict division between interior and exterior dimensions, placing humans and their needs at the center of the process, and striving for an ideal fusion between architecture and nature.
“In the infinite natural field, where the exact functional premises inherent in nature itself exist, and moreover, a great poetic fact—that is, life in motion—the architect can fully live, explore various solutions, and create Architecture that continues nature’s work seamlessly, in perfect harmony with every natural form.”
grab via www.ordinearchitetti.mi.it
De Carli found a way to integrate architecture into nature without imposing it abruptly; at the same time, he drew inspiration from nature’s perfect forms and structures during the design phase. However, we will not delve further into his fascinating architectural work here (though we strongly encourage you to explore it further, for example by clicking here or here).
After earning his degree in Architecture, our designer trained in the studio of Gio Ponti, whom he later succeeded at the Polytechnic University of Milan in the Chair of Interior Architecture, Furniture, and Decoration. He engaged in significant collaborations during his long and prolific career as a designer: with Cassina (the Model 683 Chair won the first Compasso d’Oro award in 1954) and Tecno (the Balestra Armchair won the Grand Prize at the XI Triennale in 1957).
However, Ragno remains his most beloved and representative work; inspired by the forms of nature, it mimics the perfect (inverted) structure of a spider.
It is playful, light, and extremely elegant. Additionally, which certainly adds to its allure, it is an incredibly rare piece to find!
