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www.thedesignermagazine.com
discuss any other technical details. Glass is safe and secure. Regarding comfort, I would
like to invite you to sit on our bench – you won’t want to get up once you realise how
comfortable it is.”
Interior furniture was not enough for the ambitious Italian company though, and in
2007 it launched its range of outdoor and urban furniture which included seating, lighting
and glass-panel systems to divide outdoor spaces. This range was launched in the UK at
The London Design Festival last year by Smirk, the UK retailer for the Simplicity range, in
an inspiring display in the Covent Garden Piazza.
But it is only this year that Santambrogio Milano feels that the Simplicity project has
really come into its own with the introduction of a more architectural range comprising
glass staircases, lofts and fountains among other things. “Ours is an open project because
we have developed a joinery system which has been patented and permits us to realise
everything with our concept and our design,” says Reghizzi.
“This means that besides the interior and outdoor elements, we are developing
architectural projects including glass fountains, fl oors, stairs, cubes for the entrances of
buildings, and small bridges, for example.”
Santambrogio Milano
However, the company has been keen not to limit the Simplicity range solely to glass.
www.santambrogiomilano.it
“Our concept has been conceived for glass, but within a project we can mix glass with
other materials and the combination is beautiful.”
Smirk
This year has seen the introduction of wood into the Simplicity range, which gives it a
www.smirk.co.uk
completely different appeal and would be perfect for those still wary of having a kitchen
or bath made entirely from glass.
Completely new directions are still open to the Simplicity range though, says Reghizzi:
“Our next interesting project, scheduled for next year, is a very exclusive hotel room made
entirely of glass, intended for very selective boutique hotels.”
Seemingly, it’s less a case of asking what else is possible with this material and more
a question of wondering where the options actually end. “Glass before was used as a
stopper element, as a component, as a secondary material. The use of glass has changed
and many things have still to be discovered,” says Reghizzi.
“You can mix glass and other materials, you can insert LED lights into glass sheets creating
light and colour effects. You can colour glass with infi nite tonalities. You can insert fabric and
thin stone sheets inside two layers of glass. It’s a world that has to be yet
explored. Ours is an open project because it works like a Lego system – made
of pieces joined together. The only limit is the mind.” designer
Santambrogio.indd 86 26/8/08 12:22:47
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