Italian NM3 designs a collection for NOGA

The NMNG series comprises three dining tables—one round and two rectangular—as well as a matching chair. The furniture is defined by clear proportions, visible construction, and a consistent approach to materials and structure.

“We have a modernist approach,” explains Francesco Zorzi, one of the founders. “And we are architects by training, which influences our relationship with design.”

NM3 was founded by architects Francesco Zorzi, Delfino Legnani, and Nicolò Ornaghi, who met during their studies at the Politecnico di Milano. There, they bonded over a shared interest in industrial systems and architectural logic and founded NM3 during the pandemic. Since then, they have made a name for themselves with steel furniture and interiors, both under their own name and through collaborations with fashion brands such as Givenchy, Off-White, All Blues, Chimi, and Our Legacy.

“We like the fashion world,” says Francesco Zorzi. “Many brands are driven by young creative leaders you can have a meaningful dialogue with about design. We also appreciate how extremely fast fashion is—from idea to finished expression.”

In its collection for Nordiska Galleriet (NOGA), NM3 works with wood for the first time. The series is crafted in solid oak using the same methodology they apply in their work with steel. The result is a collection with a distinct character, clear lines, and a precise expression.

“We try to create modernist design, made by architects. Our design is system-based, not object-based. It always starts from a language with a clear set of rules,” says Nicolò Ornaghi.

While radical architecture and design in the 1970s and 1980s were a reaction against modernism, NM3 sees its work as a counter-movement to the expression of the Memphis era.

“We studied in a city where the concept of radical design had a strong influence. It was a movement born out of the abundance of the time—and the idea that rules no longer needed to be followed. For us, it was more interesting to return to structure,” says Nicolò Ornaghi.

Rather than Alessandro Mendini and Ettore Sottsass, they are inspired by Italian modernists such as Franco Albini and Angelo Mangiarotti, as well as German architects like Egon Eiermann and Mies van der Rohe.

“Today, we often see design as art, where many products have lost their original purpose. But for us, design is fundamentally about serving people. Design should be useful to the public,” says Ornaghi.

The NMNG collection was photographed at Cinema Skandia on Drottninggatan in Stockholm, one of Sweden’s most unique cinemas, designed by Gunnar Asplund in 1923. The architecture combines Nordic Classicism with Italian influences; during the project, Asplund traveled to Lido in Italy for inspiration.

Photographer: Henrik Lundell
Stylist: Max Wolstencroft

NM3 was founded by Nicolò Ornaghi, Francesco Zorzi, and Delfino Sisto Legnani during the COVID-19 lockdown and brings together architecture and product design in furniture built on strict production principles, prioritizing longevity over trends.