Milan 2011: Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola presented this series of beech furniture for Italian brand Moroso at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan last week.

The collection, called Klara, is manufactured using both industrial processes and local hand-craft techniques in the chair-manufacturing district of Manzano, Italy.

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The following is from the designer:

Patricia Urquiola - Klare Collection

Klara is a wooden armchair designed by Patricia Urquiola for Moroso. The design works on a simple, linear aesthetic that is harmonious in its curved yet essential shape. The use of wood emphasises its lightness and elegance.

The structure is both functional and decorate, and calls to mind the first serial productions of the early 20th century (not least) due to the use of woven cane, a hand-crafted technique in practice in Friuli a century ago.

For its production, Moroso decided to work with the Manzano chair-manufacturing district, both in recognition of a production area that has represented Italian excellence in the production and industrial processing of wooden chairs for over a century, and because Moroso has always considered fine Italian, and in this case, local craft skills to be of great value.

The name Klara evokes a sense of tranquillity (Klare in German means clear, limpid, whilst the Spanish equivalent Clara communicates serenity). Thus this project also emphasises the importance of blending decorative art, craftsmanship and industrial design.