DESIGN HERO ANGELO MANGIAROTTI
Agape Casa’s ‘Mangiarotti Collection’ is placing this designer’s legacy firmly back in the limelight
Who is Angelo Mangiarotti? Haven’t heard of him? Italian brand Agape Casa is on a mission to change that. Responsible for railway stations, office buildings, factories and even a glass church in Baranzate, Milan, this very prolific architect (1921–2012) also extended his talents into industrial design, creating many timeless chairs, tables and shelving units from the 1950s onwards. Since 2010, Agape Casa – the homewares division of bathroom specialist Agape – has re-issued many of the great man’s original designs, adding slight styling tweaks and material updates to suit contemporary tastes – all with the blessing of the architect’s studio. Now, Agape Casa’s ‘Mangiarotti Collection’, as it is known, has flourished into a cohesive and highly covetable range.
What’s his signature style? The Mangiarotti magic touch involves combining complex feats of engineering and objects of sculptural beauty. For example, his 1971 ‘Eros’ table (above right), of which there are more than 25 configurations, consists of a slab of marble deftly supported on pillar-like legs without joints or clamps (from £3,004). The recent addition of two new versions in rich green Verde Alpi and brown Emperador marbles has made this piece even more desirable than ever. What else does the collection
include? The new ‘Asolo’ table has two almost impossibly thin marble legs that slot perfectly into the tabletop, again without any visible joints (from £4,215). Meanwhile, the shelves of the ‘Loico’ bookcase (right) appear almost weightless in contrast to their stocky column supports (from £5,641). These ontrend designs are complemented by some of Mangiarotti’s chairs, such as the three-legged ‘ Tre 3’ from 1978 (centre right), which features a strip of tanned leather for the seat (from £818; agapecasa.it).
The Angelo Mangiarotti magic touch involves combining complex feats of engineering and objects of sculptural beauty. It’s a look that is still highly covetable and incredibly on-trend