Matrix International presents «EERO SAARINEN. The Organic Unit in Furniture Design»

Matrix International invites us to art-design reflections with the book Eero Saarinen The Organic Unit in Furniture Design, published by Gangemi. Paolo Portoghesi, architect and distinguished academic, signs the introduction of this essay by Massimo Imparato, art director of Matrix International.

Matrix International, proud to act as a cultural promoter of product design, has funded the release of this research. Filled with unprecedented images, drawings, documents and news, the book provides a broad perspective on the work of Saarinen in the field of Furniture Design, and articulates a thorough analysis of the organic unit of furniture that are true icons of modern design.

In 2002 Kevin Roche donated the Eero Saarinen and Associates office archives to the Yale University Library. By inspecting the original drawings, letters and other rare materials Matrix brought to light projects of furniture never published before, and studied them in depth for starting a manufacturing process. The lounge seats for the General Motors Technical Center, the tables for the Vassar College and the seats for the Law School of the Chicago University are now part of Matrix International Furniture collection.

For the Tuscan company, celebrating its thirty years of activity, it’s a confirmation of its indissoluble bond with quality, excellence of materials and technical expertise. Matrix collection Codici gathers together the reissues of the most relevant furniture design by the Masters of modern design such as those by Eero Saarinen, which the Italian company manufactures and distributes worldwide in exclusive right.

Among the endnotes by Paul Partoghesi: «This book tells a story, and at the same time gives us the opportunity, through the company that produces it, of reliving one of the most intense moments of design history […] truly affordable products which are shaped by a meaningfulness not less than art masterpieces […]»

Massimo Imparato earned a Master’s Degree in Architecture. He collaborated with Giancarlo De Carlo in the field of Urban Design, and his projects in this domain have been awarded in international competitions. He covered strategic positions both in Academy and Industry. He has taught in several Schools of Architecture and Design in Italy and in the Middle East, where is now Assistant Professor at the Canadian University of Dubai, UAE. In 2000 founded StudioBau, a small firm that operates at the intersection of architecture, interior and furniture design.
As a consultant, he art directed furniture manufacturers among whom the Italian high-end brand Azucena.