Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website “Cactus Chair”: Citroën Airbump® invites itself to the Milan Design Week 2016
april 11, 2016 - Citroen

“Cactus Chair”: Citroën Airbump® invites itself to the Milan Design Week 2016

At the 2016 Milan #design Week, #design meets technology with the exclusive and emblematic #cactuschair, overtly inspired by the Airbump® on Citroën #c4cactus, and signed by the renowned designer #mariobellini. Citroën is also making the most of this major international #event, from 12 to 17 April, to illustrate #design creativity in the form of two audaciously modern models: #c4cactus W and the concept car #emehari styled by Courrèges.

 



At Milan #design Week 2016 Citroën’s inborn #design and technology capabilities shine through in the unique and emblematic #cactuschair, a work of art signed by the renowned Italian architect and designer #mariobellini, drawing overt inspiration from the Airbump® technology featured on #c4cactus. This stylish, comfortable and lightweight chair provides a superb illustration of Citroën’s unique flair for spectacular aesthetics working hand in hand with practical usability. It will be making an exclusive appearance from 12 to 17 April at the Citroën exhibition entitled “Cactus Chair : from automotive universe in that of furniture“ -Via Tortona 20.

From Citroën #c4cactus to the Cactus Chair

Citroën #c4cactus is a uniquely modern car that stands out on the automobile scene by making a bold statement on creative styling, exemplified by the Airbump® features that underline the sleek, smooth lines of the crossover. Its innovative automotive #design implementation provided the inspiration for an attention-grabbing work by Italian architect and designer #mariobellini in the entirely different register of furniture.

The #cactuschair, a #design project that harnesses creativity and technology for the purpose of comfort and usability, will be raising eyebrows at Milan. It is based on Citroën’s Airbump® technology, originally developed for automotive applications. The supple skin in TPU (thermo-plastic urethane) is designed to protect the car’s bodywork against knocks and scratches in everyday use. It encloses a multitude of air capsules and requires no particular maintenance.

Intrigued by this technology, Milan-based architect #mariobellini decided to use it in an entirely different field, to produce an everyday object, albeit with a most unusual appearance. There are obvious parallels between the car interior and the home: doors, seats, windows, etc. “But when Citroën Italy showed me Airbump® technology, the first idea that came to mind on touching the material was to wonder whether I couldn’t #design a new chair with it, as light as an ordinary plastic chair but with all the comfort of a real upholstery,” explains #mariobellini, who would go on to use the air in the material’s capsules to create a revolutionary piece of furniture. The tongue-in-cheek name #cactuschair reflects the paradox inherent to the designer’s quest for harmony between beauty and usability.

Two models typifying the Citroën #design flair

Following its world début at the Geneva Motor Show in early March, Citroën #c4cactus W is making its first appearance in Italy at the Milan #design Week. It brings an original take on the #c4cactus tone-on-tone customization capabilities, emerging as a sleek crossover with a monochrome livery that exudes a chic urban spirit. In this configuration, #c4cactus is predominantly white, with dune-coloured Airbump® blending discretely with the pearly body.

The other great attraction is the recent concept car #emehari styled by Courrèges. Like Citroën itself, the Courrèges fashion house is driven by a strongly visionary creative spirit, and stands as a figurehead of French #design excellence. So when Citroën approached Courrèges with a partnership project for turning its brand new four-seater electric cabriolet into an exclusive and luminous fashion item, the Courrèges bosses Jacques Bungert and Frédéric Torloting, who “believe very strongly in the interaction between different creative forms”, took up the idea enthusiastically, commissioning their #design office to take charge of developing the concept, in liaison with the Citroën #design centre. The result — Citroën #emehari styled by Courrèges — is bathed in light and open to the world outside. It’s the outcome of meticulous work on colours and materials. Colour-wise, there’s a predominant emphasis on white, with touches in bright orange. Design-wise, the overriding impression is that of a refreshing sense of freedom, expressed through functionality and space.

At the Milan #design Week, the Cactus Chair opens a new page in creative technology, while Citroën #c4cactus W and #emehari styled by Courrèges bring fitting illustrations of the #design and technology flair behind Citroën’s renown for bold innovation that has long stood the test of time.