Category: Blog

In 2001 I was asked to design an award to celebrates and honor the achievements of Italians and their contributions to Arizona’s economic and cultural growth. My idea behind the design was to create a small, minimalist sculpture that represents both Arizona and Italy in one single object.

The state of Arizona, often called the Copper state, is aptly represented by a very thick, solid copper plate and a centered, perforated cut-out in the shape of Italy, the inseparable influence of Italians in the heart of Arizona. The design decision to make a cut-through perforation, rather than engraving, gives the sculpture a much lighter look than a simple engraved, visually heavier plate. The base is made of very solid and strong marble-like rock to represent the solid foundation between Italy and Arizona. In the updated design for NIAF, the base was covered in leather.

 

 

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Antonio Larosa used the high-tech architecture of  The Centre Pompidou as the inspiration for the Beam Benches.  The stunning building in Paris houses the Musée National d’Art Moderne, which is the largest museum for modern art in Europe. Larosa was always fascinated by this major example of an ‘inside-out’ building in architectural history, with its structural system, mechanical systems, and circulation exposed on the exterior of the building.

The Beam Bench collection was designed and built exclusively  for public spaces around cities, public transport, parks, colleges and universities. When painted in bright colors the Beam collection looks like fun public art, guaranteed to make you smile even on a rainy day! Manufactured in North America, the Beam Benches are entirely made of aluminum and powder coated to any RAL color of your choice.

 

 

For more info and specs on the Beam Benches product, visit Benchmark Contract Furniture.

 

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Thanks to the love for cooking that Antonio Larosa has designed also few unique products celebrating food. Furniture with a strong image but very comfortable and practical. Some of these, designed mainly for fun, have been put into production and sold all over the world. Prosecco Stool, The Ravioli Chair, Bacchus Bench, Bean Table, are some examples of furniture designed by Larosa with food in mind.

Prosecco is a fun stool originally designed many years ago by Antonio Larosa for the organizers of Vinitaly (world’s largest wine show). Available upholstered in fabric, vinyl or leather. Prosecco is a great product for wine bars, restaurants, coffee houses, clubs, offices, lobbies …or even makeup station at home. Beware of knock-offs!

Originally designed by Antonio Larosa as a contract piece for the EXPO 2015 in Milan (“Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”), the Ravioli chair is a fun, strong and comfortable chair. Ravioli is perfect for all commercial or residential interiors looking for a unique and unusual chair. The structure is chromed tubular steel. Seat and back available upholstered in leather, fabric, and selected faux-leather for use in restaurants.

Bacchus is a large seating made in the shape of grapes. Entirely upholstered with a material made by using the skins, seeds and stalks of the grapes that are obtained during the production of wine. It can be upholstered also in leather, fabric, faux-leather. It consists of 14 assembled upholstered units to resemble grapes and leaf.

Bean is a sleek and very useful side table to be kept near the armchair and sofa. Made with painted or chromed steel legs, top in painted mdf. The top can be also covered in high quality Italian leather.

And finally here are some examples of food made by designer Antonio Larosa using ingredients from his Arizona garden …enjoy the gallery!

 

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What is biophilic design?

The word “Biophilia” was first introduced by psychoanalyst Erich Fromm who stated that biophilia is the “passionate love of life and of all that is alive…whether in a person, a plant, an idea, or a social group” in his book The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness in 1973.

Biophilic design is a concept used within the building industry to increase occupant connectivity to the natural environment through the use of direct nature, indirect nature, and space and place conditions. Used at both the building and city-scale, it is argued that this idea has health, environmental, and economic benefits for building occupants and urban environments.

Biophilic design is argued to have a wealth of benefits for building occupants and urban environments through improving connections to nature. For cities, many believe the biggest proponent of the concept is its ability to make the city more resilient to any environmental stressor it may face. In furniture design, the first Biophilic collection was designed by Antonio Larosa in 2011 for Florida-based Benchmark Contract Furniture. Isola is a unique modular seating system specifically designed for public areas such as lobbies, airports and shopping centers. The distinctive, flexible design allows for incorporation of a planter or a closer center.

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