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Refresh your minds with Superstudio’s radical designs in 60s

Italy Architecture News - Apr 14, 2016 - 18:10   19238 views

Refresh your minds with Superstudio’s radical designs in 60s

Their cotton candy Sofa Bazaar, 1968. Cristiano Toraldo di Francia

Superstudio founded in 1966 in Florence, Italy by a group of students, named Adolfo Natalini and Cristiano Toraldo di Francia. Superstudio named as a radical movement of architecture of the late 1960s. Superstudio designers liberated themselves through their rebelian conceptual architectural works, which were also new political engagement in the society dominated by colorful and crazy ideas in the new / alternative medium. Their designs were a rescuer of modernism, which none of them was built. New York Times looks back at the collection of this radical movement titled ''The Mad Genius of Superstudio'', which refresh our minds once more.

The group lasted only 12 years, until 1978, before scattering, mostly into academia, but Superstudio’s place in postwar design history borders on the mythic. At their height, they exhibited everywhere from the Museum of Modern Art to the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and had conceptual projects published in Domus, the influential design magazine edited by Gio Ponti, the progressive Italian monthly Casabella and even Casa Vogue.....Continue Reading 

Refresh your minds with Superstudio’s radical designs in 60s

A collage representing the group’s infinite energy grid, “Supersurface.” Superstudio, “Life, Supersurface (Fruit and Wine),” 1972/Photo: Archive Cristiano Toraldo di Francia.

Refresh your minds with Superstudio’s radical designs in 60s

The Superstudio collective in 1970. Superstudio, “Hidden Architecture,” 1970/Photo: Cristiano Toraldo di Francia.

Refresh your minds with Superstudio’s radical designs in 60s

A view of Manhattan from “The Continuous Monument.” Superstudio, “The Continuous Monument (New New York),” 1969/Courtesy Fondazione Maxxi.

Refresh your minds with Superstudio’s radical designs in 60s

The Sofo sofa, originally designed in 1968, will be reissued by Centro Studi Poltronova this year. Superstudio, “The Twelve Ideal Cities, Fifth City (City of Hemispheres),” 1971/Courtesy Fondazione Maxxi.

Refresh your minds with Superstudio’s radical designs in 60s

Two visions for dystopic communities ...Superstudio, “The Twelve Ideal Cities, Eighth City (Conical Terraced City),” 1971/Photo: Archive Cristiano Toraldo di Francia.

Refresh your minds with Superstudio’s radical designs in 60s

“Grand Hotel Colosseo,” a rendering from Superstudio’s “The Continuous Monument” project, 1969. Superstudio, “The Continuous Monument (Grand Hotel Colosseo, first version),” 1969/Courtesy Fondazione Maxxi.

all images courtesy of New York Times

> via NY Times