Tenso
DESIGN BY LUCA NICHETTO, 2018
Designed by Luca Nichetto, Tenso is a system comprising padded items inspired by tensile structures. The core of the system is its frame, a light and sturdy tubular structure to which the various elements are fixed – seats, backrests, cushions and tabletops, between which a tension is created that keeps the various parts suspended and open, like a welcoming embrace. The padded items, which can be combined as required to create sofas, sofas with a peninsula element or a pouf, also with built-in tabletops, are soft and comfortable, whereas the upholstery in fabric or leather features tailored details. The element with a reclining headrest offers extra comfort to those who love reading or watching TV.
Luca Nichetto
Luca Nichetto was born in 1976 in Venice, where he studied at the Art Institute. Afterwards he attended the University Institute of Architecture of Venice (IUAV), where he earned a degree in Industrial Design. He began his professional career in 1999 by designing his first projects in Murano glass for Salviati. That same year he began his collaboration with Foscarini, for whom he not only designed products, but also worked as a consultant on new materials research and product development (2001–2003). In 2006 he launched his own design firm, Nichetto&Partners, which specializes in industrial design and offers its services as a design consultancy. In 2011 he also opened another professional office in Stockholm,Sweden. Over the course of his career, Nichetto has been awarded a number of international prizes, including the Gran Design Award (2008), the Chicago Atheneum Museum of Architecture’s Good Design Award (2008), the IF Product Design Award (2008) and the Elle Decoration International Design Awards’ (EDIDA) Designer of the Year award in the Young Designer Talent category (2009), the Interior Innovation Awaed 2013 and Elle Décor Italy have nominated Luca Nichetto as “Designer of the Year 2013”. IMM Cologne has invited Luca Nichetto as “Guest of Honour” to create his vision of perfect house for the project “Das Haus- Interiors on Stage 2013”. Apart from participating in various design exhibitions in Europe, the U.S and Japan, Nichetto has also been the subject of important retrospective shows mounted in prominent European cities, including Venice, London, Paris and Stockholm, and he has served as art director for a number of international design events. In addition, he has been invited to sit on prestigious juries for a variety of design competitions held both in Italy and abroad. Today, Nichetto collaborates with a wide variety of Italian and international companies.