The best designs are usually subversive in a simple manner, utilizing different materials or processes in novel ways that spark and delight the imagination. The Salto Collection by Maria Adele Savioli of MAS Design hides the structure of the piece just enough to obscure its bones. Yet once you get closer, further inspection will reveal a glint of metal peeking out underneath what looks to be a measured, albeit heavy terrazzo. A brushed aluminum frame keeps this solid shape light, and upends our notion of the possible weight of the piece. Available in multiple colors, the materiality used here speaks to the sustainability and versatility that is shown strongly throughout the table collection.
Terrazzo is a beautiful, ancient material, stemming from one of our earliest forms of expression: pottery. An elegant way to recycle damaged clay goods, quartz chips, or various other minerals, terrazzo has a ‘one pot’ approach that builders and makers have been using for centuries. This composite structure makes it incredibly strong, held together with a cement or other binder for a hardy material, meant to stand the test of time. It does take on the qualities of stone, making it quite heavy, and perfect for flooring or countertops. The Salto Collection looks at this differently, with a terrazzo layer, almost a second skin, applied to the aluminum frame. Aluminum is incredibly light, and can be endlessly recycled into new creations.
The careful ingenuity in how the side pieces reflect the way terrazzo would be cut for an authentic feel, and the precision in which the aluminum is allowed to sneak through is exquisite. These details take the Salto Collection to the next level, offering a level of wit. The distinctive texture of the tabletop, uninhibited by the visual busyness of the substrate inside, is reflective more of the binding material, and is much more texturally smooth.
“What is structure becomes finish or a detail of style becomes a supporting element, it depends on the point of view. Everything is fluid, like the nodes that connect the planes to the legs. But everything is rigid,” explains the designer. “The form contradicts the substance in these trampolines that are not elastic.”
Maria Adele Savioli started her studio, MAS Design, in 2012 after gaining experience within the industry. Upending our traditional notions of common and rare materials, she twists the meaning of what we might find a naturally heavy, dark, or ancient substance into a lighter, contemporary work. Light is integral to her work, the effects of translucency adding depth, and almost a feeling of being underwater.
For more on the Salto Collection, visit mas-design-it.
Photography by Eller Studio.
