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Cama­le­onda sofa

c. 1970/2020

by Mario Bellini
for B&B Italia

Cama­le­onda sofa

by Mario Bellini
for  B&B Italia

or Call to Order

The Cama­le­onda sofa designed by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia is produced with an inno­v­a­tive system of cables, hooks, and rings created by Bellini in 1970, which defines the char­ac­ter­is­tic look and modu­lar­ity. Thanks to the tie-rods and rings, the modules can be unhooked and recom­bined at will, allow­ing the sofa to adapt to an evolv­ing taste and specific needs.

The funda­men­tal char­ac­ter­is­tic of Cama­le­onda is its unlim­ited modu­lar­ity, a geomet­ric pattern that allows each element to become a sort of large pixel through which to define your home envi­ron­ment. By hooking and unhook­ing seats, back­rests, and armrests, you can enjoy chang­ing your mind as many times as you desire, moving, and redesign­ing the space.

A concept which is dear to Mario Bellini: Of all the objects I have designed, Cama­le­onda is perhaps the best in terms of its sense of freedom. There is an infi­nite number of possible configurations.”

With the 2020 reissue, the padding has been thor­oughly updated by the B&B Ital­i­a’s Research & Devel­op­ment Centre, making it even more comfort­able than the orig­i­nal version. Thus the magical balance between the rigor­ous geom­e­try of the square and the welcom­ing round­ness of the padding is confirmed, further under­lin­ing the elas­tic­ity and tactile ergonom­ics that char­ac­ter­ize many of Mario Bellini’s design projects. Cama­le­onda can be uphol­stered with B&B Ital­i­a’s entire textile and leather collec­tion, allow­ing for another vari­able in the multi­tude of possible combinations.

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Cour­tesy of B&B Italia

Mario Bellini

Italy

Mario Bellini is one of Italy’s most renowned design talents. As an architect, he has designed structures around the world, such as the Tokyo Design Centre, the National Gallery of Victoria, and the Milan Convention Centre. His illustrious oeuvre also moves far beyond architecture—he’s a skilled industrial designer, urban planner, and furniture designer who has influenced all corners of the industry.

Bellini began his foray into the design world as an architect in the 1960’s, and by 1963 he started to incorporate furniture and product design into his work. For nearly three decades, Bellini was the chief design consultant for Olivetti, where he created product designs for typewriters, portable calculators, and early computer consoles. Bellini’s masterful understanding of form became evident in both his product and furniture work. Many of the bestselling designs from his early career, such as Le Bambole seating line for B&B Italia and the Cab chair for Cassina, continue to be produced.

With over 25 pieces of his industrial design in their permanent collection, MoMA celebrated Bellini’s contribution to the design world with a 1987 retrospective of his work.

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