Luca Ricci's Optical Distortion Furniture Design
A dynamic seating experience created with glass and red velvet.
1Design Origins
Luca Ricci drew inspiration from the proportions of Le Corbusier's LC2 sofa to create this piece. By subverting traditional material logic, he explored the structural and aesthetic potential of glass. Designed exclusively for the opening of Fivefourfive's Milan store, the work was conceived as the space's centerpiece.
2Material Innovation
The sofa is entirely made of glass: an inner smooth layer for support and an outer fluted layer creating a pleated optical effect. This layered structure refracts and softens light, transforming the view behind it. The material choice reinterprets traditional fabric pleating in glass.
3Dynamic Visual Effect
The design creates optical illusions that change with light transitions, offering different appearances based on the viewer's position. The fluted surface gives a sense of movement and repetition, promising a dynamic experience from a static furniture piece. This effect inspired the name 'Plissè Block'.
4Contrasting Details
The cold, sharp aesthetic of glass is balanced by six red velvet cushions: three rectangular seat pads and three cylindrical backrests. This contrast adds tactile warmth and theatrical emphasis while enhancing the design's graphic sensibility.
5Functional Engineering
Composed of three modules (two side blocks and a central element), the sofa moves on hidden castors. Structural glass maintains the minimalist form while ensuring practicality. Each module functions both independently and as part of the whole.
6Design Significance
Ricci's work demonstrates how material research and optical experiments can create new expressions in furniture design. Merging traditional references with radical material approaches, the piece pioneers boundary-pushing in contemporary product design.