Milan 2013: British designers Industrial Facility will unveil these three-legged stools for Italian design brand Mattiazzi in Milan this week (+ movie).

Named Radice, the stools combine the front-half of a traditional four-legged stool with an unusual single leg in the middle of the back.

“Radice has some tension in its form and it is a slight surprise that the third leg works as well as it does to resolve the overall structure," says Industrial Facility's Sam Hecht. "It is in some ways structurally diagrammatic, yet is made comfortable visually and physically because of how this third leg supports the seat.”

A low backrest branches upwards from the back leg. Its t-bar shape provides a practical place to hang coats and handbags and is reflected in the bracing at the top and bottom of the legs.

The Radice stools have no visible fixings or screws and the seat appears to merely rest on the leg frame.

Manufactured by Mattiazzi, the stools will be available in red, yellow, black or natural wood, with additional cushion options. There is also a choice of two heights.

This is Industrial Facility's second product for Mattiazzi: in 2010 they presented a chair called Branca, inspired by the growth of tree branches. See all our stories about design by Industrial Facility.

Mattiazzi will show the project at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile from 9 to 14 April, alongside chairs based on camping equipment by Jasper Morrison. See all our stories about Mattiazzi.

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