G.R.A.U. - Design London Thursday, May 2, 2024 | Phillips

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  • The present custom cabinet with bookcase is part of the restoration project of the 16th-century Villa of Cardinal Chigi in Ariccia, near Rome, executed in 1967 by the Roman Architects and Urbanists Group (G.R.A.U.). This project aimed to restore the villa while incorporating elements of Western architectural history, particularly influenced by perspective geometry and references to ancient and Baroque Roman architecture. The restoration project was meticulously planned with a focus on symmetry and adherence to historical architectural principles. One notable aspect of the project was incorporating furniture design in the overall architectural scheme. The furnishings were designed with a pervasive use of perspective design, drawing on Renaissance studies and referencing Michelangelo. The architects employed imaginary Cartesian lines to create grids within interior spaces, which informed the design of furniture. This approach resulted in furniture that exhibits an "architectural" character, blurring the lines between furniture design and spatial design. Gabriella Colucci and Franco Pierluisi, the architects responsible for the project, rejected the emerging divide between industrial design and architecture, viewing such a distinction as foreign to the Italian tradition of design. For them, furniture and spatial design were inseparable components of the overall architectural vision.

     

    The present custom cabinet with bookcase illustrated on the ground floor of Villa of Cardinal Chigi in Ariccia, near Rome, in an architectural drawing.
    Image: Alessandro Anselmi and Gruppo Romano Architetti Urbanisti, G.R.A.U. Isti Mirant Stella: Architetture 1964-1980, Rome, 1981, p. 110
    • Provenance

      Private collection, Villa of Cardinal Chigi, Ariccia, commissioned directly from the designers, 1967
      Acquired from the above by the present owner

    • Literature

      Alessandro Anselmi and Gruppo Romano Architetti Urbanisti, G.R.A.U. Isti Mirant Stella: Architetture 1964-1980, Rome, 1981, p. 110 for a drawing
      Francesco Moschini, 'Il restauro del casino Chigi sull'Appia Nuova', Abitare, no. 271, January - February 1989, illustrated p. 122

119

Custom cabinet with bookcase

circa 1967
Painted beech-veneered plywood, painted pine, painted brass, rubber.
217.5 x 304.5 x 45.5 cm (85 5/8 x 119 7/8 x 17 7/8 in.), including casters

Full Cataloguing

Estimate
£5,000 - 7,000 

Sold for £5,080

Contact Specialist

Antonia King
Head of Sale, Design
+44 20 7901 7944
Antonia.King@phillips.com
 

Design

London Auction 2 May 2024