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pedrali celebrates 20 years of woodworking in manzano manufactory with iconic chairs

A CELEBRATION TO REAFFIRM QUALITY WOODEN FURNITURE

In 2025, Pedrali marks a significant milestone, celebrating two decades since the establishment of its wooden furniture manufactory in Manzano, Italy. Located in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Chair District, this facility quickly became a crucible where iconic designs like Frida, Malmö, and Nemea were brought to life. These creations solidified Pedrali’s dedication to Italian know-how, quality craftsmanship, and a forward-thinking approach to sustainable design. Marking its 20th anniversary, the brand also introduces Griante, its first wooden chair specifically crafted for outdoor use, designed by CMP Design. Griante reinterprets woven seating with a weather-resistant teak frame and a handwoven, fully recyclable polypropylene yarn belt, showcasing Pedrali’s commitment to material innovation and versatile design applications.

Griante blends durable teak with recyclable handwoven yarn | all images courtesy of Pedrali

PEDRALI CONTINUES FRIULI’S WOOD CRAFT AT MANZANO MANUFACTORY 

The Manzano manufactory perfectly exemplifies Pedrali’s philosophy of blending industrial design with outstanding quality, achieved through a fully managed, in-house production process. This approach, deeply integrated with a profound respect for natural resources and collaborative design, leads to products that are not only aesthetically compelling but also built for longevity and environmental responsibility – critical considerations for contemporary architectural and interior projects.

This dedication to quality and regional expertise stems from a clear vision articulated by the company‘s leadership. As Monica Pedrali, CEO of the company, explains, ‘Italy boasts some of the world’s best technologies for manufacturing wooden chairs, and a heritage of expert skills in raw material selection and complex processes that is hard to replicate elsewhere. As seating experts, we couldn’t afford to not have a wooden chair in our collection.’ Moreover, the choice of location was equally decisive. ‘The Friuli region has a tradition and manufacturing know-how of wooden chairs like nowhere else in the world. It is a classic example of an Italian industrial district where the collaboration of many craftsmen with specialised skills creates something unique. Since we decided to open a wooden manufactory, we had no choice but to come to this territory to find the best expertise.’

Pedrali blends Italian know-how and quality craftsmanship | image © Filippo Romano

SUSTAINABILITY AT THE CORE OF WOODWORKING 

Leveraging this regional expertise and collaborative spirit, the Manzano manufactory has been the birthplace of several iconic designs. The Frida chair, designed by Odo Fioravanti and awarded the ADI Compasso d’Oro in 2011, is a prime example. Featuring a three-dimensional curved plywood shell on a solid wood frame, its construction, demanding absolute precision in design and production, demonstrates Pedrali’s ability to push the boundaries in woodworking. Furthermore, numerous collections by CMP Design, such as Malmö, Nemea, and Nym, showcase a versatile design language rooted in thoughtful material application and structural ingenuity.

Frida chair by Odo Fioravanti exemplifies Manzano’s precision in wood processing | image © Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio

All of Pedrali’s wooden products are FSC® C114358 certified, guaranteeing wood sourced from responsibly and adequately managed forests that align with strict environmental, social, and economic standards. This commitment is central to the brand’s deeply ingrained sustainability practice, further strengthened through its adoption of water-based coatings. Composed mostly of plant-derived resins, this choice significantly decreases chemical compounds found in traditional coatings, resulting in a healthier working environment, reduced air pollution, and substantial energy savings. It’s a challenging yet crucial innovation for the wooden seating sector, where solvent-based paints are typically used.

CMP Design’s Nemea chairs showcase a versatile design language rooted in thoughtful material application | image © Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio

Beyond product design, Pedrali’s commitment to environmental responsibility extends to its operational footprint. The Manzano manufactory itself exemplifies this, having undergone a significant expansion in 2019 that included the installation of photovoltaic panels and a full conversion to LED lighting. These substantial upgrades directly contribute to reducing the company’s overall CO2 equivalent emissions, a commitment rigorously measured through its Corporate Carbon Footprint assessment. Additionally, a dedicated vacuum plant for wood waste separation ensures that both clean and treated wood chips are efficiently recycled and reused.

The 20-year milestone of the Manzano production site is not merely an endpoint but a powerful motivation for Pedrali to continue its journey of constant growth and renewal. It stands as a testament to the enduring values of tradition, innovation, and sustainability, driven by the perseverance, passion, and dedication that define Pedrali’s approach to furniture design.

Pedrali’s water-based coatings, derived from plants, reduce chemical compounds and environmental impact | image © Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio

a fully managed in-house production process ensures quality and precise control over every stage | image © Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio

decreasing chemical compounds found in traditional coatings results in a healthier working environment | image © Filippo Romano

Pedrali’s wooden products are FSC® certified, guaranteeing responsible sourcing from adequately managed forests | image © Piercarlo Quecchia, DSL Studio

project info:

brand: Pedrali | @pedralispa

location: Manzano (Udine), Friuli-Venezia Giulia Chair District

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NIKE co-grows new breed of orange tulips with thorns in time for UEFA women’s euro 2025

Artificial orange tulips with thorns during euro 2025

NIKE co-grows a new breed of orange tulips with thorns, seen across Amsterdam in the Netherlands in time for UEFA Women’s Euro 2025. Named Oranje Fatalis, the brand co-cultivated the flowers in collaboration with Dutch silk flower specialists Bloom & Wolf and the agency W+K to celebrate the competing national team’s spirit and strength of the Netherlands during the match. Tulip is an iconic symbol of the Netherlands, and for the project, the design team with NIKE imagines it to embody the look of boldness for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025.

Hence, the birth of Oranje Fatalis: oranje is the color of the national team and the country’s royal family, while the Latin word Fatalis suggests deadly or dangerous. Combined together, ‘Deadly Orange’ is a symbol for the competing national team that amidst beauty and power, there is strength and a touch of danger. Fans of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 can pick up their orange tulips with thorns arounf some of the florists in Amsterdam during the games.

all images courtesy of NIKE, Bloom & Wolf, and W+K

NIKE co-grows flowers in time for UEFA women’s game

The orange tulips with thorns co-created with NIKE are handcrafted by the silk-flower company, Bloom & Wolf. The artificial flowers are made to look and feel as real and as close to the natural ones as possible. The campaign’s goal is to celebrate the national team, known as the Leeuwinnen (Lionesses), and together with the brand and agency W+K, the silk-flower company designs and handmakes parades of orange tulips for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2024.

The Oranje Fatalis is part of a larger campaign across the Netherlands, and some of the players featured in the campaign include Esme Brugts, Jill Roord, Jackie Groenen, Romée Leuchter, and Wieke Kaptein. Their photos appear next to the orange thorned tulip in posters and videos, visibly using the signature font of NIKE to signal the collaboration. Florists across Amsterdam have these orange tulips with thorns for a period of time, and fans of the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 can swing by them between July 5th and 13th before watching the match.

the orange tulips with thorns across Amsterdam during Euro 2025

NIKE co-cultivates the artificial orange tulips in time for Euro 2025

the name of the orange tulips shown during Euro 2025 is Oranje Fatalis

the petals of the flowers are made of silk

detailed view of the orange tulips during Euro 2025

project info:

name: Oranje Fatalis

companies: NIKE, Bloom & Wolf | @nike, @bloomandwolf_amsterdam

agency: W+K | @wkamsterdam

florist information:

July 3rd to 5th

Rembrandt Flowers

Keizersgracht 6671, 1017 DV

July 8th to 9th

Bloemenhoek

Piet & Evelien Witt

Dapperplein, 1093 GP

July 12th to 13th

Florist ‘t Lievertje

Spui 7, 1012 XE

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CTRLZAK channels filtered forest light in pine-inspired restaurant at ekies resort, greece

CTRLZAK completes Bubo restaurant in greece’s ekies resort

At the Ekies All Senses Resort in northern Greece, CTRLZAK design studio unveils Bubo, a restaurant inspired by komorebi, the poetic Japanese term for sunlight filtering through trees. Developed by Thanos Zakopoulos and Katia Meneghini, the studio draws a conceptual thread between this architectural project and Zakopoulos’ recent art installation at the same resort, which used charred pine as a metaphor for destruction and rebirth (find designboom’s previous coverage here). In Bubo, komorebi becomes the conceptual guide that shapes an atmosphere where light, structure, and texture create the feeling of walking through a forest. The interior draws from the rhythms and systems of the surrounding pines, inviting guests to feel part of it.

images courtesy of CTRLZAK

tree-like columns support perforated metal ceiling

Italian-Greek studio CTRLZAK interprets komorebi as a metaphor for ecological connection and the subtle rhythms of the natural world, sunlight, water, air, and matter in constant exchange. In the dining space of Bubo, angled columns rise like tree trunks, supporting a canopy of perforated metal ceiling panels that hide lighting and ventilation behind a pattern reminiscent of vascular tissue in pine needles. Working with Reflect Lights, CTRLZAK creates a play of light and shadow that recalls walking through a forest, where sunlight breaks through the foliage in quiet moments of clarity and wonder.

Bespoke furniture, dining tables, sofas, dividers, and curtains, is part of the forest narrative. Materials drawn from the local landscape, such as earthy plasters and Greek marble, further ground the restaurant in its context. The stone flooring features a subtle gradient of two regional marbles, which dissolve into one another as the space opens toward the beach.

CTRLZAK design studio unveils Bubo, a restaurant inspired by komorebi

water installation reflects mountain-to-sea flow

That same attention to elemental transitions is visible in the bathroom, which is envisioned as a cave-like retreat. Designed as a kind of contemporary sanctuary, it channels the idea of water emerging from the mountain. A spring-like installation releases water through the stone wall and out into an exterior fountain, reimagining the mountain-to-sea flow in architectural form. Nearby, a mural and custom-made outdoor furniture evoke geological stratification, exploring the ongoing transformation of the terrain and the layered histories embedded in it.

CTRLZAK’s design celebrates the unseen dimensions of the natural world, from cellular structures to ancient stone, reminding us of our place within an interconnected whole.

angled columns rise like tree trunks

bespoke furniture is part of the forest narrative

earthy plasters and Greek marble further ground the restaurant in its context

a spring-like installation releases water through the stone wall

a mural and custom-made outdoor furniture evoke geological stratification

the stone flooring features two regional marbles

CTRLZAK creates a play of light and shadow that recalls walking through a forest

perforated metal ceiling panels hide lighting and ventilation

project info:

name: Bubo Restaurant
architect: CTRLZAK | @ctrlzak
location: Ekies All Senses Resort | @ekiesresort, Chalkidiki, Greece

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iridescent titanium panels cast chromatic reflections within info desk by KOGAA in brno

KOGAA redesigns Civic Interface in Brno’s Historic Core

KOGAA’s redesign of a municipally owned ground-floor unit in Brno’s historic center establishes a new model for tourist information facilities as adaptable civic infrastructure. The project, TIC Brno, is situated on Zámečnická Street, a high-footfall pedestrian corridor connecting Náměstí Svobody and Dominikánské náměstí, and engages with both heritage constraints and contemporary urban needs. More than a point of orientation, it functions as a cultural interface: hosting micro-exhibitions, showcasing locally made products, and offering space for smaller events and launches.

Externally, the intervention introduces a new travertine stone base and a lightweight signage hood that collectively bring cohesion to a fragmented facade. These elements were developed in dialogue with preservation authorities, including the National Institute of Historical Preservation and Brno’s Department of Historical Preservation, and were designed for gradual implementation to minimize disruption to surrounding active units. The design aligns with the ‘Manual of Good Practice for Advertising and Marking of Establishments’ (2018), integrating signage into a unified and restrained visual language. In a visually saturated urban context, this approach reinforces architectural clarity and public legibility. The travertine base references materials found throughout Brno’s architectural history, while the hood introduces a lighter counterpoint, reducing visual noise and offering a calm interface at street level. Openings along the facade were adjusted to reestablish transparency and align with the building’s original tectonic logic, contributing to a more coherent relationship between interior and exterior.

all images by BoysPlayNice

Chromatic panel structure fabricates TIC Brno’s Interior

Inside the compact footprint, the spatial organization centers around a single multifunctional insert that consolidates core functions: reception, workspace, storage, product display, and public interaction zones. Designed and fabricated by KOGAA Studio in collaboration with DURO Design, a local metalwork studio, the insert is composed of iridescent titanium-clad panels applied using a Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) process. This surface treatment produces subtle chromatic shifts in response to daylight, creating a nuanced, dynamic interior quality.

The monolithic insert also acts as a spatial device, structuring circulation and defining user interactions. Lowered portions accommodate staff and visitor desks, recessed volumes serve as display areas, and integrated storage maintains functional efficiency. A bespoke connector system developed by DURO ensures seamless assembly while preserving the sculptural continuity of the installation.

a single multifunctional insert defines the compact interior

Balancing Heritage and Change in Brno’s Civic Landscape

Beyond its informational role, TIC Brno serves as a venue for micro-exhibitions, product showcases, and smaller cultural events. The programmatic flexibility of the space allows it to evolve in step with the city’s cultural landscape, supporting Brno’s strategic goals of promoting local creativity and participatory engagement. Its content is curated in collaboration with local designers and institutions, maintaining relevance through ongoing rotation.

The project demonstrates how limited spatial interventions can carry broader urban significance. By combining material precision, contextual responsiveness, and programmatic adaptability, the design addresses the intersecting demands of heritage preservation, civic representation, and everyday usability. The juxtaposition of the ephemeral titanium finish and the grounded travertine base encapsulates the architectural intent to balance permanence with transformation. TIC Brno is part of a wider urban strategy that positions Brno as a city rooted in cultural authenticity and civic innovation. Although modest in scale, the project contributes to the redefinition of public infrastructure, establishing a replicable approach to civic architecture that prioritizes design quality and urban continuity.

iridescent panels shift color with changing daylight conditions

the monolithic insert organizes circulation and spatial use

integrated volumes accommodate display, storage, and workspaces

lowered surfaces support staff and visitor interaction

the PVD titanium coating introduces a subtle chromatic variation

the insert balances sculptural form with functional clarity

travertine stone base and signage hood unify the fragmented street facade

openings were adjusted to restore transparency and align with original facade rhythms

project info:

name: TIC Brno: The Civic Counter
architect: KOGAA | @kogaa_studio

location: Zámečnická 90/2, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic

lead architects: Tomáš Kozelský, Viktor Odstrčilík, Alexandra Georgescu

design team: Kateřina Baťková, Josef Řehák, Markéta Landová, Nikola Linhartová, Kristián Zámečník

client: TIC Brno, Centrála cestovního ruchu – Jižní Morava

bespoke construction and finish: DURO DESIGN

illustrations: Laura Emilija Druktenyte

passport: Plancraft 

consultant: Michal Doležel, Veronika Rút

lighting supplier: London Light

photographer: BoysPlayNice | @boysplaynice

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom

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mecanoo’s high-tech, timber clad dance theater opens at jacob’s pillow in massachusetts

doris duke theater opens doors at Jacob’s Pillow

Mecanoo’s Doris Duke Theater has officially opened at Jacob’s Pillow in Massachusetts, marking a new chapter for the long-running dance center. The vast venue replaces the original studio theater destroyed by fire in 2020 and introduces a flexible, high-tech space equipped to host both live and digitally augmented performances. Designed in collaboration with Marvel and theater consultants Charcoalblue, the project combines a mass timber structure with advanced technical infrastructure. It accommodates up to 400 audience members and is engineered to support a wide range of performance staging formats, including immersive installations and multimedia-based choreography.

all images by Iwan Baan, courtesy of Jacob’s Pillow

mecanoo grounds the timber volume in its natural landscape

Mecanoo’s design takes cues from the surrounding Berkshire landscape and responds to the site through a natural material palette and integrated sustainable systems. Thermally treated pine cladding, a green roof, rainwater collection, and a deep veranda that frames the wooded setting all anchor the building in its context, with the latter also lending it its modular silhouette. Surrounding landscape interventions by Marvel, developed with Indigenous artists, extend the project’s engagement with place. Sculptural stone seating, a communal fire pit, and planted gathering spaces echo the site’s layered history while offering new spaces for reflection and interaction.

The Doris Duke Theatre is part of Jacob’s Pillow’s broader initiative to expand access to dance and support new forms of creative expression. The new space opens with a diverse program of performances and installations by artists including Shamel Pitts, Andrew Schneider, Elle Sofe Company, and Huang Yi, alongside an inaugural exhibition curated by Katherine Helen Fisher that explores dance and digital interaction. A new work by Indigenous artist Brenda Mallory is also installed in the lobby, continuing the effort to reflect broader cultural narratives within the venue.

project info:

name: Doris Duke Theater

architect: Mecanoo | @mecanoo_

location: Massachusetts, USA

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passarelli arquitetos perches swimming pool like a monumental bowl beside casa da baro

a Sculptural Home in Rural São Paulo

Casa da Baro is a residential project designed by Brazilian studio Passarelli Arquitetos in the interior of São Paulo, located within a community known for weekend retreats. Built along the natural contours of the site, the house spreads horizontally across the plot, its plan gently fanning out like a set of wings. This gesture was first sketched by Marcelo Passarelli during a flight shortly after his initial meeting with the clients, setting the tone for a design based on intuitive clarity and structural confidence.

The home unfolds in a series of deliberate contrasts with straight lines and softened curves, exposed openness and protected retreat. Horizontal forms dominate the composition, punctuated by two moments: a sculptural internal staircase that floats downward in a loose, extended spiral, and a circular swimming pool that overlooks the sloping terrain below. The pool’s shape emerges in part as a response to site conditions, with a subtle overflow that creates a shallow wet edge, lined with travertine that matches the surrounding flooring.

images © Fernando Guerra

casa da baro overlooks a brazilian garden

Throughout the project, the team at Passarelli Arquitetos uses material and form to frame a balance between openness to nature and a sense of seclusion. Wide eaves and pergolas shade the interior from direct sun while preserving sightlines to the landscape. The house is organized around a gallery at the upper level, which opens onto a generous social space before stepping down to more private quarters.

Circulation through the home encourages a gradual descent, guided by the wide central staircase that reveals varying perspectives of the structure and its garden. The spatial sequence feels composed yet informal, offering moments of pause and discovery rather than abrupt transitions.

Casa da Baro is located in a residential community in the interior of São Paulo

Passarelli Arquitetos curates a wide-open shelter

A restrained material palette strengthens the project’s architectural coherence. Travertine stone unifies both interior and exterior surfaces, creating a subtle continuity between living areas, terraces, and the pool. The living room is defined by its double-height ceiling lined in warm wood, and by the soft daylight that filters through openings calibrated to the sun’s path.

Furniture selections reflect a curated sensibility, with pieces by Lina Bo Bardi and the Campana Brothers anchoring the space alongside a private art collection that includes works by Osgemeos and Daniel Senise. These choices add texture and context without overwhelming the architecture’s clean gestures.

Marcelo Passarelli describes Casa da Baro as a project that arrived at the right moment in his professional trajectory. Its calm resolution, careful massing, and attention to site conditions reflect a maturity in practice that allows expressive features to emerge naturally from structural and environmental considerations. The home feels grounded without being rigid, and feels expressive without exaggeration.

the house follows the natural topography with a horizontal, winged layout

Passarelli Arquitetos emphasizes linear forms punctuated by sculptural curves

large eaves and pergolas offer shade while maintaining visual openness

travertine stone covers both interior and exterior surfaces for continuity

project info:

name: Casa da Baro

architect: Passarelli Arquitetos | @passarelli_arquitetos

location: São Paulo, Brazil

landscaping: Alex Hanazaki | @alexhanazaki
wood: Arkos | @arkosbrasil
woodwork: Ornare | @ornare_official
window frames: Tecnofeal | @tecnofeal
photographer: © Fernando Guerra | @fernandogguerra

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