Tortello Armchair by Barber & Osgerby for B&B Italia

Tortello, designed by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, presents itself as a monolithic armchair that amuses with its generous, soft and cozy shapes. Just as the name leaves no room for the imagination, the design is also striking.

Tortello is composed of several unexpected elements. The supporting structure, a sort of tray with a trapezoidal section base, is rotationally molded from recycled polyethylene. It is then completed by an elastomer mattress on which the foamed upper element is laid, a soft fabric-covered volume characterized by a peculiar profile thanks to a ‘pinched’ stitching. Tortello boasts responsible manufacturing thanks to the most advanced technologies and state-of-the-art materials.

Circularity and recycling are at the heart of this new collection, starting with the structure in second-life polyethylene to which are added elements in polyurethane foam and thermoplastic elastomers that define its geometry and comfort. Softness is guaranteed by a series of targeted constructive expedients, despite the fact that the quantity of polyurethane used is minimal. The choice of materials and construction techniques, which allow to assemble the structural elements without the use of adhesive or glues, mean that Tortello can be completely disassembled and consequently easy to recycle.