Port’s design editor Alyn Griffiths reflects on the life and legacy of B&B Italia founder, Piero Ambrogio Busnelli
In January of last year, one of the design industry’s true pioneers, Piero Ambrogio Busnelli, died at the age of 87. In 1966, the Italian entrepreneur was responsible for introducing the new technology of cold polyurethane foam moulding, which helped improve the comfort and design of the seats and sofas many of us sit on every day.
The process enables designers far greater freedom to create expressive seating shapes that support the curves of the body, and was key to the success of B&B Italia, the label Busnelli founded to explore the industrial potential of his technological breakthrough.
B&B Italia’s furniture is produced by first constructing a metal load-bearing frame, which is fitted with straps, springs and additional structural components. Every product has its own frame and a dedicated mould. The frame is then placed into the mould, where a chemical reaction causes the injected chemical components to gradually expand and solidify to take the final shape of the chair or sofa. The process is capable of achieving complex curving seats, such as Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa’s bestselling Grande Papilio chair (pictured) and has been used throughout the decades to create products that helped confirm B&B Italia as one of the world’s most innovate furniture brands.
Collaborations with leading designers, from Gaetano Pesce to Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, have also been crucial in establishing the company’s reputation for developing cutting
edge products.
The second generation of the Busnelli family is now overseeing B&B Italia’s growth into new international markets and areas such as outdoor products and contract furnishings. The company also continues to invest in new materials, processes and technologies, with over three percent of the firm’s annual turnover dedicated to research; a fact that would make its forward-thinking founder proud.
Illustrations by Tim McDonagh
