Kyoto

Description
Designer Bio

Brand: Poltrona Frau

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Understated and refined, the Kyoto table by architect and designer Gianfranco Frattini is the perfect blend of design vision and master craftsmanship. In the early 70s, during a trip to Japan to study the work of the local craftsmen, Gianfranco Frattini visited the craft workshops of Kyoto together with expert carpenter Pierluigi Ghianda, who would become his friend and collaborator. Inspired by the processing techniques and aesthetics of these places, the designer came up with the idea for the joint that would form the basis of the table of the same name, production of which began in 1974. Kyoto immediately became synonymous with a concept of understatement which, as in the best Italian design tradition, combines a brilliant idea with impeccable execution. In the Kyoto table the construction concept becomes the object itself. The absence of decorative elements exalts the beauty of the raw material - the Canaletto walnut inserts have a precise strengthening function - requiring great technical ability and care as well as an in-depth knowledge of the material. Revisited by Poltrona Frau with complete respect for the original project, the Kyoto table reflects the skills and expertise of a new wave of artisans, heirs of the rich Italian wood crafting tradition, and stands alongside Albero and Turner as an example of high-end craftsmanship. The Kyoto table forms part of the permanent collection of the Design Museum at the Milan Triennale. The Kyoto table is available in the square 102 cm version with height of 32 cm, or in the 102x49 cm version, also 32 cm high. The surface and legs are in Extra light solid beech wood with solid Canaletto walnut inserts at the end of the boards that make up the top. The wooden boards are connected with 45° joints that form a square pattern. Slide-off counterpoise legs that can be positioned as desired. All surfaces are treated with a protective transparent varnish. The Poltrona Frau logo and the designer’s signature are laser engraved on one of the faces of the leg supports.

About Designer
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.

About Designer

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.