Metafora Coffee Table

$2,700.00 CAD

Pickup available at Nicetoness

A true masterpiece of Italian design, the Metafora coffee table by Massimo & Lella Vignelli for Casigliani is a striking balance of art and functionality. Designed in the 1970s, this sculptural piece pays homage to pure geometry, featuring four distinct marble forms - cube, cylinder, sphere, and pyramid - each serving as a base for the substantial glass top. The elements can be arranged freely, allowing for a personalized composition while maintaining stability. A statement of timeless sophistication, Metafora embodies the Vignellis' visionary approach to minimalism and architectural harmony.

Made in Italy
Authentic by Massimo and Lella Vignelli for Casigliani

Dimensions

Height: 8.67" (22 cm)
Width: 35.44" (90 cm)
Depth: 35.44" (90 cm)

About the Designer

Massimo and Lella Vignelli
New York, United States

For over 50 years, Italian-born husband-and-wife team Massimo and Lella Vignelli collaborated on a variety of now iconic design projects spanning the product, print, interior, exhibition, and industrial arenas.

Massimo Vignelli was born in Milan in 1931. He studied architecture at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan from 1948 to 1950, before going on to study at both the Politecnico in Milan (1950–53) and the University of Venice (1953–57). While still a student, he designed lighting for renowned Murano glassmaker Venini.

Lella Vignelli (née Valle) was born in Udine, Italy in 1934. She studied architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge from 1955 to 1958, and, before returning to Italy, worked as a junior designer for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. In 1962, she graduated with a degree in architecture from the University of Venice.

Having married in 1957, the pair established the Lella and Massimo Vignelli Office of Design and Architecture in Milan in 1960, focusing on office accessories, home products, graphics, and furniture. The studio’s clients included Pirelli and Olivetti, among others. In 1965, the Vignellis moved to Chicago and founded, along with six other designers, Unimark International (1965–71), which specialized in corporate graphics. Clients included the likes of American Airlines, Knoll, Bloomingdales, Ford, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Notably, Massimo’s prolific print work championed the Helvetica typeface, encouraging its eventual widespread popularity in the US. In 1971, the couple established Vignelli Associates (known from 1978 on as Vignelli Designs) in New York. They continued to work together until Massimo’s passing in May of 2014.