Albero Limited Edition
After the huge success of the re-release of the freestanding Albero bookcase, a little-known yet very fascinating and masterful piece created by Gianfranco Frattini in the late 1950s, Poltrona Frau is launching the Albero Limited Edition in olive wood.
The bookcase comprises just a few ingeniously interconnected elements, which show Gianfranco Frattini's attention to the laws of statics and dynamics. It has four vertical struts and two rack and pinion poles at the two ends, all crafted from solid olive wood.
The shelves, produced in MDF with olive essence veneer, can be positioned in the holes along the struts as desired with a minimum of eight and a maximum of 12 shelves. A special metal cylinder is attached to the ceiling to hold the bookcase in place. The Albero's frame is attached to this and the floor thanks to two adjustable metal ferrules that ensure its stability. The height of the bookcase can vary between 2.66 m to 3.26 m.
Each bookcase features the designer’s signature, the Poltrona Frau logo, the caption “Limited Edition” and laser-engraved numbering from 01|55 to 55|55 on the lower part of the frame.
About Designer | |
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Gianfranco Frattini |
Gianfranco Frattini was born
in Padua on 15 May 1926. He graduated from Milan Polytechnic with a degree in
Architecture in 1953 and joined Gio Ponti's studio. As early as 1954, thanks to
Ponti, he began working with Cesare Cassina, who would always remain an
important figurehead for him.He was one of the founders of ADI and was involved
in the management of the Triennale di Milano on several occasions. He opened
his own design studio, initially with Franco Bettonica, in Via Lanzone, Milan.
He worked with numerous companies in the field of furniture and lighting design
including Bernini, Arteluce, Knoll and Artemide, for whom he and Livio
Castiglioni designed the “Boalum” floor lamp, a true masterpiece and, above all
else, an innovation in terms of product type.
Frattini's relationship with
Pierluigi Ghianda, a cabinet maker from Bovisio Masciago, was also extremely
important. Beyond the human aspect, this relationship exemplified his passion
for working at close quarters with craftsmen, always attentive to the quality
of manufacturing and the design stories. Wood was without doubt Frattini's
preferred material. Some of his interior designs, another professional field in
which Frattini has left a significant legacy, formed the backdrop for several
of Milan's trendiest social venues in the early 1960s, particularly the Stork
Club and the St. Andrews restaurant. His designs in Portofino, Capri and
the interiors of the Hilton hotel in Tokyo are also particularly memorable. His
work was referenced at the Compasso d’Oro awards numerous times, and he was
also a winner of the Triennale di Milano Medaglie and Gran Premio
awards. Domus magazine regularly published his work. In 1988 Pier Carlo
Santini dedicated an important monograph to him. Gianfranco Frattini died in
Milan on 6 April 2004. In 2007 Giuliana Gramigna and Federica Monetti wrote
Gianfranco Frattini: architetto d’interni e designer (Gianfranco Frattini:
interior architect and designer) for Franco Angeli. His products are displayed
in the permanent collections of the biggest design and decorative art museums
in the world. |