The Milan Furniture Fair is just around the corner. Now in its 52nd year, the annual get-together for design enthusiasts is the biggest in the industry. The Italian firm Pedrali (est. 1963) is almost the same age and will not only be celebrating its 50th anniversary but also its 25th appearance at the Salone del Mobile. Pedrali is best-known for the cutting edge designs of its tables and chairs –probably Italy’s largest manufacturer for the contract market.
Pedrali’s extensive product lines range modern plastic chairs to stately leather exemplars, from simple steel table frames to high-quality aluminum tables. At the beginning of the 1990s, the product portfolio at Pedrali was dominated by metal products. However in the late 1990s, the company has been increasingly focusing on introducing plastic materials. In the last 10 years the collection has been augmented by a comprehensive range of wooden chairs. The latter are produced in a company-own plant in Manzano, the center of Italian chair production. After all, the company places a great deal of value on manufacturing all of their products on home soil in Italy. With the very best technical equipment at their disposal, Pedrali is able to make each and every product internally.
In order to be able to offer new, competitive products, the research and development team at Pedrali works with international designers on a constant basis. And this policy is certainly paying off, as several of the resulting products have been honored with various design awards. Among others, the “Frida” chair by Odoardo Fioravanti, which was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in July 2011. While the “Malmö” chair received another prestigious award in December 2012, the Good Design Award. The chair is the brainchild of Michele Cazzaniga, Simone Mandelli and Antonio Pagliarulo.
At this year’s Milan Furniture Fair Pedrali will be presenting the fruits of their collaboration with Patrick Jouin. The French designer has designed a chair called “Ester”, which was primarily intended for the luxury goods sector. “Ester” is made of a steel frame upholstered with polyurethane foam and finished off with a high-grade leather cover.
Furthermore, Pedrali will be continuing their successful collaboration with the architects at Migliore+Servetto, who exhibited Pedrali chairs in gigantic wheels. And this year we have an installation entitled “Pedrali mirror” to look forward to.
At the Salone del Mobile 2012, each chair on the Pedrali stand was exhibited in its own gigantic wheel.
The company’s founder Mario Pedrali with his children and current CEOs Monica und Giuseppe Pedrali.
On the occasion of the Milan Furniture Fair, Patrick Jouin designed the leather chair “Ester” for Pedrali.
Mirror, mirror – “Pedrali Mirror” design by architects Migliore+Servetto for this year’s Pedrali stand at Salone del Mobile.
All Pedrali products are manufactured in Italy.
French designer Patrick Jouin
