Italian simplicity

As a little bambino in the town of Saregno in Lombardy in northern Italy, Piero Lissoni dreamed of one day building aeroplanes. The naive childhood attempts to construct simple models never turned out very well in Lissoni's already critical eyes. The models were too clumsy and never took off properly. They did not have that crucial lightness. Many years later, Piero Lissoni is a multifaceted architect and designer recognised worldwide. Now comes the Borea outdoor furniture collection for B&B Italia, which in a way pays homage to Lissoni's childhood aeronautical escapades.

Borea outdoor furniture has that lightness that Lissoni's aeroplane models lacked. He wanted to create a light and flexible product, "like a mix between an aeroplane and a bicycle", as he describes Borea's outstandingly complete set of sofas, armchairs, chairs and tables. The frame itself is made of feather-light aluminium and is designed to be slim and seamless. The frame of each product is available in three earthy colours – anthracite, clay, tortora – while the seat cushions are available in a range of patterned and monochrome textiles. The detail of the slightly protruding feet further raises the furniture off the ground. A detail that in all its simplicity and modesty evokes the whole vision of the collection – the feeling of lightness.

Like other B&B Italia products in recent years, Borea has been developed to be as sustainable as possible. The idea is that at the end of the furniture's life cycle, each individual element should be able to be disassembled, sorted and reused as much as possible. They should be able to become something else. "A machine, a new sofa, or, if you like, an aeroplane," Lissoni urges.

Architect and designer Piero Lissoni was born in 1956 in the town of Saregno in Lombardy, northern Italy. After becoming interested in the family business of antiques and textile restoration, he studied at the Politecnico di Milano University, where he was trained by design legends such as Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and Marco Zanuso. Since 1985, Piero Lissoni has built a career that spans the entire design spectrum, from architecture, design, graphic design, photography, fashion, interior design, accessories, lighting design - even as art director for superyacht manufacturer Sanlorenzo. "I consider myself very lucky in my professional life. I have always had, and will always have, many different thoughts and ideas that I have been able to express as a designer, art director, graphic designer, photographer, by building houses, chairs, small objects. What more can I really ask for?" said Lissoni when Nowness visited his house in Tuscany for the In Residence series.

As a designer, Lissoni is well known for his minimalist approach and exquisite proportions, which together with a rationality and functionality have made Lissoni known as one of the most respected contemporary living designers.

At the end of 2020, BB& Italia announced the appointment of Piero Lissoni as art director. The brand, which has been family-owned since founder Piero Ambrosio Busnelli started the company in 1966. Board member Giorgio Busnelli, son of Piero Ambrosio, had retired a year earlier. With Lissoni as artistic director, BB& Italia enters a new phase. "We are very pleased and proud to welcome Piero Lissoni to the B&B Italia family, and we are ready to start a new and evolutionary chapter for B&B Italia with him", said CEO Gilberto Negrini when the appointment was announced in December 2020.

However, Lissoni was no stranger to B&B Italia. Since 2017, they have made several collaborations, including the modular Dock sofa, the Liagò storage system, and now the Borea outdoor furniture collection. "This is a company that has written the history of Italian and international design, while always being contemporary, so for me it is very gratifying to start this journey together with B&B Italia," Piero Lissoni told Dezeen.

Discover the Borea collection at Nordiska Galleriet.

Products featured in the post