“Stellage” is the name of the design collective – composed of Gabetti & Isola, Raineri – that won the competition launched in 1952 by the Turin Chamber of Commerce for the design and layout of the building and furnishings for the new Stock Exchange. The name itself is already a declaration of intent: in fact, the term indicates a specific kind of financial contract that allows one to minimize the losses of an operation. The bet was certainly a winning one, and has led this small armchair to become an icon of design that is featured in important collections such as the permanent collection at the MOMA in New York. The project stands out for its unique and highly recognizable style, which is the result of intimate and personal research. Made by artisans in Turin with great knowledge and extreme attention to detail, the small armchair reflects the neoliberty style that is characteristic of the Piedmonte capital. The Studio will be the spokesperson for this style in Italy. In its original edition, the structure – made of ebonized beech – has curvilinear and harmonious shapes finished by metal joints and visible screws that give it an elegant and refined appearance, while the upholstery is in Resinflex, an elastic and weather-resistant material.
The new unpublished project of the small armchair – which has been named “Stellage 52” – came from an idea and initiative of Lodovico Gabetti and Fabrizio Pellegrino, who are already active in the re-edition of Gabetti & Isola furniture with the Gabab studio in Turin. The collaboration was born from a meeting with Franco Ceccotti, and has allowed the production and marketing of the small armchair for the first time since its creation for the Turin Stock Exchange. The new edition respects the original design, with the addition of several structural and decorative features, such as the use of completely redesigned metal brackets to improve the stability of the seat and the use of leather upholstery. The finishes are in solid American walnut, in the various colours shown in the catalogue, while the joining elements provided in the previous project to fix the upholstery remain hidden, leaving only the head of a screw in view.
Stellage 52 is part of the line Masters Tribute promoted by Ceccotti Collezioni in which the Tuscan company brings its craftsmanship and design expertise to bear in re-proposing some classic designs.
