MOROSO 1952-1960

A series of sofas, settees and armchairs, which really do look as if they have just come out of one of the comics that made Mariscal famous worldwide, were developed for a hotel that wanted something unconventional. Grand Suite, Single Room and Lobby all have in common four building blocks made of non-deformable differentiated density polyurethane foam. The armrests change, the right one being different from the left. The basic idea is a round cushion that is sheared off. And where it is cut, the fabric changes.

Above left, a comic strip from Hotel 21; to the left, Grand Suite by Javier Mariscal (1995).

Designed by Ross Lovegrove initially for his Portobello home, the M sofa became a Moroso best seller. Characterised by simple technology – it is composed of simple blocks cut out of rubber and placed on the wooden frame – it proved to be an excellent piece for the contract sector, and is still   Moroso’s most economic product.

To the right, the M sofa designed by Ross Lovegrove in 1996.

Jules and Jim, designed in 1996 by Enrico Franzolini, form an ambivalent system suited both to the home and the contract business. The Hyde Park home sofa interprets the essentialism of the nineties.

To the right, Jules, below, Jim, designer Enrico Franzolini (1996).

Below, the 40-80 chair designed by Ferruccio Laviani and Achille Castiglioni (1999).