ARCO DESK BY BBPR STUDIO FOR OLIVETTI SYNTHESIS

Material: Enameled iron frame with bakelite top

Origin: Milan, Italy, 1960

Measurements: 160 cm long x 80 cm wide x 78 cm high

The Arco desk, produced from 1960 onwards by Olivetti Synthesis and designed by BBPR Studio, belongs to the Neoliberty movement, a critical reaction against the cerebral excesses of rationalism, which revived the emotional depth of Italian Art Nouveau, known as Liberty south of the Alps. The use of angled solutions and diagonal lines in the leg structure and the edges of the desktop incorporates the stylistic innovations of two of their major preceding projects: the restoration of the Sforza Castle and the Velasca Tower, both iconic landmarks of the Lombard capital.