Henge Collection: Visionary Project Based on the Concept of Traveling

Jun 25

Design, Interiors, Interview, Movies Add comments

This film shows an interview with Italian architect Massimo Castagna on the occasion of International Furniture Fair 2012. Castagna graduated in architecture at Milan Polytechnic in 1984 and started his professional career in 1986, when he founded the architecture and interior design firm, AD architettura. His main projects include the semipermanent laboratory ‘Piramide’ designed for the Italian National Research Council (CNR), set up in Nepal, at 5,050 m above sea level, in 1991. In 1991 he started to pursue a career in interior decoration, providing designs and consultancy for training and renovation of furniture showrooms, and establishing partnerships with furniture manufacturers. Since 2000 he has been a lecturer in the interiors management master’s program organized by Federmobile at Polidesign, Milan. During the interview, Castagna talks about Henge collection for which he was a coordinator and co-designer with Emmanuel Babled. The collection has faced a huge success among all visitors of 2012 edition of the International Furniture Fair in Milan.

The interviewer introduces that Henge is a brand that has focused its artistic programming and its work on the theme of travel. Castagna agrees with him and confirms that Henge is a visionary project based on the concept of traveling. He convinces that in fact their journey is a journey through time and space. They take inspirations from anywhere in the world at anytime, working towards an international concept and creating a recipe that is made up of the way they think of today’s contemporary home living. They present their contemporary approach. In other words, what they would have in their house nowadays.

Castagna asked how will Henge present itself and what is new from an artistic point of view answers that Henge continues to move forward on the path that they started last year. What they bring this year does not deny, but rather evolves from a series of concepts based on work that has occupied them for a full year. He adds that searching for materials that are always very distinctive, something unique with some things are truly exceptional is hard. He talks about the fundamentals, like swamp oak which is almost nowhere to be found and has a magnificent gray color finished only with oil. As well as the research they did on steel materials which they are able not only to put inside glass, but that they use to cover decorative pillows. He convinces that it is always interesting to see the reaction of someone who touches one of these objects . They think they are going to be touching silk, but in reality it is steel. He explains that they have used other steel materials to make the tops of tables and sideboards, not limited to metal finishes, but also wood finishes. He thinks that is an exceptional effort applied to products that are never overstated but always refined and discreet.

The architect asked about the direction in which Henge’s research will go answers that without a doubt, they want to complete the home. They have strengthened their product range with regard to the living area. He convinces that they have many other projects on the shelf ready to be developed. Some are only awaiting the finishing touches on the sleeping area. But as far as the materials are concerned, he does not know yet. What he actually knows is the fact that they are incredibly curious and have a great imagination. He believes that they will carry on the enormously satisfying expedition that they have been pursuing for some time now into territories that are often not traversed by anyone else, and that are without a doubt far from industry.