Marco Marin talks about the evolution of outdoor lighting and furniture

26 May 2021

In 1989 Marco Marin and Alfredo Chiaramonte founded the ChiaramonteMarin studio. Together they form important projects for companies such as Bonaldo, Cattelan Italia, Miniform, Nason Moretti, Vistosi and above all Emu with which they still carry on an impressive collaboration. They therefore have a privileged and competent point of view on the evolution of outdoor furniture, a category that has grown rapidly in recent years both from the point of view of quality and from the point of view of the variety of projects. Another sector of choice for the studio is lighting and among the latest collaborations in this field is the one with the Belgian company Hind Rabii for which they signed the Infinity lamp.

How was the Infintity lamp designed for Hind Rabii born?

We started from the idea of ​​designing a lamp that diffuses light in an unconcentrated way, with this goal we sought the best solution together with the company’s technical department. The lamp is composed of a metal structure, a tripod on which the diffuser is attached, through a joint that allows you to direct the light. The diffuser is composed of a fiberglass shell and a barrisol panel curved through a heat treatment.

In the design of light, is there a balance between aesthetics and functionality or does the lamp end up tending towards one or the other aspect?

There was a phase in which companies chose to minimize the care of the aesthetics of the lamp by focusing on the aesthetic aspects, perhaps at an excessive level. Now I would say that we are more in a phase of research of the lamp as a sculptural object, often also of large dimensions. Of course these objects must in any case perform their function and therefore illuminate adequately.

How has outdoor design changed, or at least evolved in recent years?

We have been collaborating with EMU for almost thirty years now and we have witnessed the transformation that garden furniture has undergone. First of all, the garden – or in any case the external space – has become a real extension of the interior and therefore has taken on a greater value. This evolution, which had already been underway for some years, has experienced an acceleration following the pandemic that has led to appreciation and use of outdoor space even more. And this was also found in the increase in sales of furniture, even small ones, intended for outdoor use, both in the private sector and in the contract sector. This applies to both furnishings and lighting: if previously outdoor lamps were used only to provide light, now they are also considered for their ability to furnish the space.

From a qualitative point of view, what evolutions has the outdoor furniture had?

Those who buy outdoor furniture tend to keep them at least partially protected and not completely exposed to the elements. But there are materials that actually resist because they are worked in a particular way and they are both metals and fabrics and synthetic materials. For example, mass-dyed fabrics that are refractory to water and also assembled so that water does not creep between seams and seams. So it’s worth making a quality purchase because it actually performs better due to more research and product care.

The ChiaramonteMarin studio was founded in 1989, how has the perception of design and the home changed?

The approach to furniture changes according to the generations, young people have a different approach than an adult. In general, however, there is a greater awareness on the part of young people towards design.

How would you define your own home?

Incomplete and constantly evolving, there is even a light bulb hanging from a wire in a bathroom. For the rest it is full of objects, prototypes, furnishings that are not necessarily contemporary. I like to bring modern and old together, first of all in my home.

On the cover, Alfredo Chiaramonte and Marco Marin

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