An icon of Italian design, Piero Bottoni’s Fenice table has returned to production after 53 years. With a design that was ahead of its time, the table was one of the first modern tables with a central leg, created nearly 20 years before the appearance of tables with similar supports.
Revived according to the original drawings from Bottoni’s archives, legendary Italian design brand Zanotta has reissued the table on the occasion of the 2016 Milan Furniture Fair. Bottoni had the first version of the table constructed in reinforced concrete cast on site, firmly anchored to the floor. After much research, Zanotta put the Fenice into production utilizing the most advanced technologies: resin cement for the surface to reproduce the physicality of the original design, and Polimex® for the internal structure.
One of the most original masters of Italian architecture, Bottoni’s table was specifically commissioned for the dining room of Villa Muggia in Italy. Despite Villa Muggia being bombed during World War II and remaining in ruins, the Fenice table – the real heart of the house – remains intact, a testament to how certain avant-garde works are able to defy the passing of time.
Today, the Fenice table with its rich history is evidence that good design stands the test of time. At Luminaire, we could not be more in consensus.
June 2016
