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True Heritage
100+10 Years of True Evolution
A visionary piece of furniture, the Albero
bookcase expresses the search for lightness
and the typological transformation in fur-
nishings that can be traced back to the
Milanese rationalist movement. A self-sup-
porting bookcase, which can also rotate
thanks to its single ground-to-ceiling upright
and modular elements that can be freely
combined. Albero blends a sculptural aes-
thetic with a careful study of compositional
mechanics, featuring adjustable racks and
piston-shelves that seem to evoke the struc-
ture of an engine transmission shaft.
In 2014, Poltrona Frau releases a revival
version of this almost unknown icon by
Gianfranco Frattini (1926-2004) and the
following year the company created a
Limited Edition of 55 pieces in solid olive
wood. A hard, compact and fine wood that
recalls ancient symbols. The choice of this
noble veneer even further highlights the dual
identity of this product. On one hand, the
shape that branches off from the central
stem recalls the vitality of a tree. On the
other hand, there is the product’s mechani-
cal complexity, featuring the eternal contrast
between the metaphor of industrial manu-
facturing and craftsmanship.
Using olive wood became a real chal-
lenge that only true masters of cabinetry
could tackle. Each piece of wood was indivi-
dually selected, creating an elegant inlay
effect, therefore giving life to 55 unique
pieces.
The natural grain of the olive wood is
also highlighted in the vertical surfaces of
the shelves, with delicate mirror effects.
“…olives, sacred trees, hark, hark
to man’s prayer! O thou, gift of
safety, o thou more sacred than the vine,
more sacred than the harvest, illustrious trees,
give forth the peace that shines upon you,
the gentle peace, in my heart, so merciful…”
rotation of the bookcase
on its central upright
examples
55
360°
(1958) — 2015
Gianfranco Frattini
Albero
thickness of the Saddle
Extra leather pad that
covers the shelves
4 cm
Gabriele D’Annunzio
Agli Olivi, 1985
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“…ol
to m
safe
mor
give
the g
Gabri
Agli O
