Ready. Set. Work!: PEDRALI

How's it been for you?

2020, that is. For me, it's been a, let's say, interesting time. Not least emotionally. The mandated distance-keeping from loved-ones and friends is a bummer. And don't get me started on the disappearance of dating.

In terms of work, it's been a different story, however. Of course, I recognise how privileged I am to work in an industry where working from home, or, indeed, anywhere, is a reality. It's been said many times that there are winners and losers in this disruptive epoch – as there are in any crisis. The two biggest challenges (or opportunities), as I see them, are how we adjust behaviorally to working from where you live (when should you call it a day and shut that laptop?) and how remote spaces perform in design terms to facilitate their new function as work spaces.

As collaboration becomes increasingly effective via digital means, we go to the office – yes, it still exists – for something more. A sense of collegiality, of oneness that comes with physical proximity, albeit currently at a safe distance. Zoom doesn’t do pheromones. And when we’re there, we increasingly expect the levels of warmth and well-being that our home offices give us. Think office home.

Italian furniture brand Pedrali isn’t alone in developing a collection of products that respond to the phenomenon of so-called New Work. A number of manufacturers have developed furniture and other elements that respond to, or, indeed, help enable, a more blended, more hybridic way of working. But none perhaps do what Pedrali manages to do, which is to offer a system of solutions that deliver in spades in terms of flexibility, modularity and sustainability, while at the same time providing all the haptic and visual comfort and friendliness you find in the rest of its collection.

‘New reference models and new ways of working’ is how Pedrali describes what its latest cohort of seating, tables and space-diving elements creates. Existing designer collaborations have been leveraged to produce a raft of newcomers to the collection, each of them an extension to an existing product family. From seasoned Spanish designer Jorge Pensi, there’s the ultra-mobile, sound-absorbing Ypsilon Connect space-divider and a new low-back version of his Temps executive chair; while Milan-based Robin Rizzini has developed new sizes for his rational yet friendly Toa table, making its specification possible for an even greater diversity of settings. At the same time, he’s added a new acoustically active, desktop folding screen – a product fit for our socially distanced times.

Further additions include Busetti Garuti Redaelli’s new niche-like Buddy Hub – a sofa, armchair or ‘box’ that comes with a wrap-around panel, providing both sound management and privacy. And a complementary desk and bench designed by the company’s in-house R&D team for its Arki family of distinctive, trestle-legged furniture. ‘In configurating new spaces, whether at home or in the office, versatile furniture plays a fundamental role,’ says Pedrali CEO Monica Pedrali. ‘The goal is to select products that are able to preserve people’s well-being, made from innovative materials that stand out for their antibacterial properties and facilitate regular cleaning and sanitising.’

For Pensi, who set up his design studio back in the mid-1980’s in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter, this year has been an opportunity for reflection, recalibration and much creativity, his collaboration with Pedrali playing a significant role in his focus...

How has 2020, with its very particular contours, been for you?

All of a sudden, the world has changed. It’s like we’re in a bad Hollywood film, but I’m happy to be healthy and close to my family and to the design team, waiting for the end of this challenging time.

What effect have the constraints of recent months had on your creativity?

On my creativity? No effect at all, to be honest. In fact, I feel more creative than ever. I’m working online with my designers and with our clients, in a really friendly and professional atmosphere.

Has this year made you rethink the nature of work in general – how, where and when it happens, or could happen?

At the beginning of the pandemic, I asked myself: is there any good reason to go on thinking of new objects in this sad environment? Later, I understood that people, staying at home, working there, were dedicating time and money to improving their spaces, changing their furniture and so on to try to brighten up their lives.

How do your new products for Pedrali reflect this?

Of course, we started conceiving these products before the advent of Covid. At that time, the idea was to increase Pedrali’s presence in the office, with fresh, functional and poetic pieces. But the crisis has only served to emphasise their relevance and meaning.

Why did you decide to partner with Pedrali again? What are they like to collaborate with?

Our collaboration began some years ago. We’ve managed to develop many successful products over the years. I love the way the company thinks, how it is willing to experiment and innovate. And, of course, the open-mindedness and warmth of the people. I can honestly call myself part of the Pedrali family.

And where and when do you have your best ideas?

Where? At home, in taxis, while driving or watching a movie, walking down the street, waiting for the traffic light to turn green. When? When I wake up, when I go to sleep, when I dream. Ideas come when you don’t force them to appear.

© Architonic