Novecento is a marble ornament / sculpture.
The glorious variety of different stones chosen, together with the designers’ diverse mix of cultures, backgrounds and influences, come together in a joyful homage to home and the creation of gorgeous sculpture-like accessories.
The passion renowned architect and designer Rodolfo Dordoni felt for this project is expressed in a pair of houses, with the clean, precise lines of each piece recalling the style of Italy’s Novecento movement, the inspiration for the name he chose.
In designing his Novecento series, the designer sought to strike the perfect balance between architecture, sculpture and design logic, and the result can be seen in the multi-form pieces that beautifully express the eternal contrast between rationality and playfulness that he holds so dear.
The design sees an interchange of high and low arches, artfully cut so as to highlight the distinctive characteristics of each of the four stones chosen to bring his vision to life, from the rich dark tones of Pietra d’Avola and elegant green of Verde Alpi to the purity of Bianco Carrara, and, by contrast, the vivid red swirls of Rosso Collemandina.
This glorious rhythmic succession of colours and forms gives shape to a miniature neighbourhood brimming with delightful nuances and contradictions.
“My contribution to The Village originates, between playfulness and rationality, from the combination of architecture, sculpture and design. It is an homage to our history and story.” – Rodolfo Dordoni
The Village is inspired by Gabriele Salvatori’s wish to explore the concept of home within the context of today’s global society and reinterpret it through the medium of design, whilst addressing fundamental themes of contemporary living. To recreate the rich and diverse structure of a typical village, we invited a select group of designers from around the world to share their idea of home, each bringing their own inimitable combination of outlooking, culture and background. The result is a fascinating and wonderfully eclectic collection of miniature houses, that, like the global village we inhabit, reflect an extraordinary array of styles and approaches. What links them, however, is the use of natural stone, that enduring and beloved material that has been used since time memorial to construct buildings, art and monuments that provide refuge and inspiration for mankind. From the very first rudimentary dwellings of cavemen and women, it has protected and enveloped us, the very same characteristics we still look for today when we choose our home, our haven. Designers such as Rodolfo Dordoni, Kengo Kuma, Elisa Ossino, John Pawson, Patricia Urquiola, Vincent Van Duysen and Yabu Pushelberg accepted our challenge, each contributing their precious and unique interpretation of the concept of home, expressed in a miniature piece of very special and absolutely original architecture. The Village is a natural continuation of Salvatori’s commitment to reinventing the concept of home décor by developing pieces that express “home” as a holistic experience that touches all our senses and nurtures our soul.
