Alessi has received three 2015 GOOD Design Awards for Opus by Guido Venturini, Condiment Set by Peter Zumthor, and Ossidiana by Mario Trimarchi. The GOOD DESIGN Awards recognizes the world's most prominent designers and manufacturers for advancing new, visionary, and innovative product concepts, invention and originality, and for stretching the envelope beyond what is considered ordinary product and consumer design.
"This award sets the tone for what 'good design' means, celebrating creativity in form, function and innovation, and Alessi is honored to be recognized," commented Paolo Cravedi, Managing Director Alessi USA. "Each of Alessi's designers honored this year works meticulously to create something new, useful, and beautiful in every Alessi product and we are thrilled to see them celebrated by the prestigious Chicago Athenaeum."
Opus is a bold centerpiece that communicates lightness through its sophisticated texture. Designed by Guido Venturini, Opus is formed from a piece of metal lace produced using a sophisticated laser cutting technique. This modern crochet technique is the result of a lengthy process of repeatedly rising and lowering the point of a laser onto sheet metal. The steel is perforated with precision, and then polished and modeled into its final shape using a die.
The design of the Condiment Set by Peter Zumthor originated several years ago while he was using a salt shaker while eating breakfast in hotel. He did not like what he was holding in his hand and made a quick sketch of a different type of container. The sketch hung on his studio wall for some time before creating prototypes from glycerin soap. "I took the sketch to my workshop and asked Iris to make a series of prototypes based on the sketch, using glycerin soap; they had to look like brothers and sisters, young and old, but all members of the same family. Iris created a beautiful set of soap objects that looked like they were made from frosted glass. Thanks to the Alessi team, an old idea has now become reality," said Zumthor. Zumthor offers an original interpretation of this category taking inspiration from the natural forms of crystals, stalagmites and stalactites. The collection is comprised of six pieces: an oil-vinegar cruet, salt castor, pepper castor, spice castor, sugar castor and personal salt castor, each one designed with dimensions and functions to best fit their purpose. Crystalline glass was used for the containers and silver-plated cast steel for the lids in order to recreate the naturalness of the mineral forms.
Ossidiana by Mario Trimarchi is a new coffee maker which is considered part of the Alessi's caffettiere d'autore collection, inspired by sculpture and the act of subtracting matter from a solid block to discover the hidden forms within. Trimarchi started with a cylindrical form and shaved down layer after layer, to reveal a design that is both architectural and sculptural. The boiler and collecting chamber are sculpted and the ergonomics are enhanced to guarantee easy and safe handling. A small aluminum ball grip covered in thermoplastic resin located close to the handle makes it easy to open and close the lid, safeguarding against the risk of burning. The lid has an internal tongue that collects condensation, directing it into the collecting chamber. The black thermoplastic resin handle echoes the faceted design of the coffee pot, a feature that makes it ergonomic and functional. Ossidiana, Italian for Obsidian volcanic glass, is available in one, three and six cup sizes and comes in hexagonal packaging designed by Mario Trimarchi that matches the angled design of the coffee maker.