The Libre seating collection, designed for Pedrali by Eugeni Quitllet (pictured below), was presented at the 64th edition of as a compact and versatile seating system intended for both indoor and outdoor use.
The collection includes a monoblock side chair and armchair made from injected polypropylene, with the seat and backrest appearing as two distinct elements connected by a continuous structural frame. Gas air moulding technology enables slim profiles while maintaining structural strength and light weight.
The design references traditional bentwood seating through soft curves and organic forms, while reinterpreting these elements in a contemporary way. Rounded geometries are intended to evoke the softness of upholstered despite the chair’s rigid construction, while integrated openings within the frame improve grip, portability and ease of maintenance.
We were lucky enough to catch up with Quitllet at the stand at Salone del Mobile. The conversation — taking place on Libre chairs themselves — focused on the conceptual and material development of the new piece, centring on ideas of freedom, movement and lightness in furniture design.
“The name and the product are something that come simultaneously, because the challenge of designing this chair is [the desire] to be free,” explains Quitllet. Sit free to feel free. It’s also very beautiful when you ask for a chair and say, is it free? Esta libre? Yes, it is libre.
“But it’s also libre because we wanted to create something that gives us freedom of movement — freedom to move around, to take your chair, to hold it as you like. Every part of the chair is easy to move. It [makes you feel] free, and you are also free when you’re sitting. Take your chair and sit as you like, feeling always surrounded by the element of the chair and protected it in a way.”
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The designer explains how the chair was designed to encourage flexible and informal sitting positions as well as easy movement and a sense of comfort and protection through its enveloping form. He also emphasises that idea of mobility, with its lightweight design allowing for easy carrying and repositioning.
Another important theme for Quitllet in this Pedrali collaboration is air, void and flow. Rather than focusing purely on creating a formal shape, Eugeni describes his interest in shaping sensations and atmosphere through the use of empty space and visual lightness.
“Air and void, for me, are very important elements — they’re part of the matter, part of the volume, part of the shape. I like to use void as a physical element. The physical becomes light, because it’s got this airy, natural flow. It a flow, it’s energy.
“I’m not trying to design a shape, I’m trying to shape a feeling. That’s what Libre is.
“It’s difficult to feel free in the industry today, there are so many parameters you need to add to a product. To make it look like a physical dream, there is huge technique, technology and engineering behind it to make it disappear, so you just feel the air of the product.”
The conversation also addressed materiality, with Quitllet outlining the use of injected polypropylene for its structural performance, durability, light weight and recyclability. “It is a plastic that allows us to structure this kind of shape,” he explains. “[It] gives the right resistance and the right weight, and also the [longevity] and recyclability of the product.”
Eugeni Quitllet
Pedrali
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