Stadera Desk

BALANCE AT PLAY

The desk-table designed by Franco Albini makes a striking first impression, thanks to the two side-by-side trapezoidal tops supported by a single steel base, making it a piece of great tactile and visual sophistication.

This table/writing desk, designed by Franco Albini consists of two trapezoidal planes, one smaller than the other, on a single steel support. This balancing act is characterised by the material richness of the planes, which are available in three types of wood, and natural cement, their shape being delineated by a frame. In each version of this piece, one plane is thicker than the other, the higher of the two available with a leather top. This accentuates the tactile and visual qualities of the piece. While the single- leg support might suggest a lack of balance, equilibrium is established using the principle of the Roman balance (stradera, in Italian), a form of weighing scale consisting of a beam with two arms of different lengths, and a counterweight that can be displaced along the graduated, longer arm.

The structure with a single leg lends an effect of seeming instability to the modern design which, in the balanced inequality of the tops, suggests the shape of a scale, while the different thicknesses outline the frame, accentuating the borders.

The play on contrasts is heightened by the tactile richness of the top, in wood or in natural cement, customizable with a cowhide top that adds to the elegance of a furniture piece ideal for the living room, study area or home office.