INTERVIEW – The Italian designer and architect who created many iconic pieces of furniture has relaunched his famous Ginger lounge chair after forty years.
Some of his works are so iconic that they belong to the collections of MoMA in New York. His Ginger lounge chair, forty years after its creation, has not aged a bit. Its sober line, its ornate structure
the soft cushions and its rotating tablet are as comfortable and functional as ever. Reissued with Flexform, it perfectly illustrates the creator’s approach.
Madame Figaro. – 40 years old, the most beautiful age ?
Antonio Siterio. – Yes! For me, 40 was the best age, the perfect age. I was an accomplished person, but still young. I hope so for Ginger, now in her forties. Who knows? Maybe people today will appreciate it more…
” data-script=”https://static.lefigaro.fr/widget-video/short-ttl/video/index.js” >
Calm or tense? ?
When I created Ginger, I definitely wanted to relax. My ideas often come from my own needs, especially at home. This lounge chair is truly designed for lounging. You can sit there to drink, watch TV or read.
My design vision ?
I am not into trends, my goal is not to be fashionable. I like to design simple furniture that stands the test of time, that is modern today that was modern forty years ago
and who will be contemporary twenty years from now. You can change the cushions, but the furniture will remain original.
The compliment that will satisfy me ?
Let someone tell me that I am an architect, because architecture is complex. The final perception of the furniture is simple: it is a chair or a sofa, and yet it is a synthesis of many solved problems.
40 was the best age, the perfect age. I was an accomplished person
Antonio Siterio
Guide ?
It is built around normality, sobriety, simple elegance.
I don’t like designer furniture that is too expressive. This is the philosophy I develop at Flexform, for example. We create timeless furniture.
And when we reissue the furniture, I keep it as envisioned, adding just a few little modern touches.
changing small details. It is also difficult to tell whether the models are new or old. This is what we call at Flexform,
“Warm modernity”.
Sensitive or pragmatic? ?
Function, of course, is why we design furniture.
There is a significant pragmatic side to this discipline. But ultimately, what matters most is the emotional connection your design evokes. A sofa or an armchair is a bit like pets, seeing them awakens your senses, your sensitivity, and you immediately have an emotional relationship with them.
My message to the younger generation ?
I’m a college professor and I always start my first class with: “No one is a genius here. You have to work, be curious, never stop learning, look at what other creators have done. SO
After all, you still won’t be a genius, but you will be able to create something.”
At Flexform we stand for “warm modernity”
Antonio Siterio
What would I like people to say about me? ?
That I am someone who likes to work in a team, with people of different ages, someone who respects the work of others. The secret to a good product is a good team, because ideas come from discussions.
My next creation ?
I have many architectural projects in progress, but in terms of design, it is still early at this point. As fall sets in, I’m just starting to think about plans for the coming year. For me, creativity is work
and not inspired by God.
What am I going to do after this interview? ?
I have many meetings planned and I am patiently waiting for the end of the week to go and spend the weekend at my home in Portofino.
On the coast of Liguria.
Source: Le Figaro
