Milan 2014:Â Milan designer Alberto Biagetti has created a furniture collection inspired by his home city that incorporates materials salvaged from its aristocratic palazzos.
The Bonjour Milà n collection developed by Biagetti's studio, Atelier Biagetti, comprises a cabinet, a lamp, a large table and groups of side tables made from materials including discarded tiles.
"All of our pieces are hand made in Milan and each material has been selected to represent an historical era, a sort of sedimentation of materials," the designer told Dezeen.
"This idea made us think that maybe in the future people will search for plastic in the ground as one of the most precious materials, as happens today with many materials that become more precious and rare over time."
Hexagonal tiles taken from typical Milanese residences act as surfaces for side tables that feature bases made from rectangular brass profiles.
The structure of each table creates a seemingly delicate contrast to the weighty tiles, which are positioned at different heights.
"When I found these parts of a wonderful old floor with this incredible patina I thought that was a treasure and the perfect starting point," explained Biagetti.
A mixture of discarded materials including copper, brass, plastic laminate and wood are applied to the glass surfaces of the table and cabinet and arranged in patterns that resemble sectional views of stratified rock or earth.
The patterns spread across the glass top of the table and continue onto the upper portion of the supporting trestles, while the top and bottom of the glass cabinet are covered in opaque materials that conceal its contents.
The Parabola lamp features an adjustable brass base supporting a parabolic dish that is inspired by the shape of the huge antennae used for space research.
A small reflector at the centre of the dish directs light onto the domed surface, which projects an even light into the room.
Each of the pieces in the collection is unique due to the irregular combination of available materials and the use of handmade production processes.
The collection was launched at a preview event in Paris last week ahead of a presentation at Atelier Biagetti's Milan showroom from 8-13 April.