Modular majesty: B&B Italia x Mario Bellini’s statement Camaleonda sofa to be re-issued this year
50 years after its first release, Mario Bellini’s Camaleonda sofa is being re-issued by B&B Italia to inspire the creative homeowner with a classic statement piece. Share
Bellini’s Camaleonda sofa is the bold interior feature for those with evolving tastes. With geometric sectional elements which can be unhooked and rearranged, this timeless piece sparks spontaneous innovation by continuously redefining the contemporary interior space.
The sofa was created in 1971 by Italian architect and designer Mario Bellini. Internationally renowned and eight-time Golden Compass Award winner, Bellini’s designs are recognised by their intimate tactility and ergonomically-inspired ease. The Camaleonda sofa was an instant success amongst home enthusiasts looking for fresh and expressive designs and became famous almost immediately after featuring in MOMA’s 1972 ‘Italy and The New Domestic Landscape’ exhibition.
B&B Italia have worked alongside Bellini to re-release the sofa with all the standout features of the 1971 design. Dimensions are faithful to the original; the seat remains a comfortable 90x90cm in width and length. Nylon studs still embellish the striking Capitonné pattern, while feet made from solid beechwood provide an elegant yet hardwearing foundation.
Several inspired enhancements make the 2020 sofa even more majestic than the original; sustainable fabrics and finishes now complete the classic design, while the polyurethane padding, recently updated by B&B Italia’s Research & Development Centre, provides superlative comfort and ease.
So much more than a static home fitting, the Camaleonda sofa is a fantastically animate piece traversing the boundary between furniture and art. Its moveable elements create an interesting conversation between fluidity and geometric definition; between the angular structure of each segment and the supple flexibility of the mobile form. Bellini’s enduring design inspires infinite creativity; the tie-rods and chromed brass rings allow the individual modules to be recombined in a limitless number of ways.
The dynamism of the Camaleonda sofa is wonderfully liberating; offering unlimited modularity, there is an immense spectrum of new ideas to be explored. The potential for home redefinition become boundless. In the words of Mario Bellini, the sofa extends a ‘sense of freedom’ with an ‘infinite number of possible configurations’.
Nor is its innovation confined to structure. The multiple design and finishing options open even more opportunities for personalisation and creative self-expression. Architecturally fluxional, each piece can be used individually as a chair or transformed by unhooking and repositioning the back and armrests. Removing the backs also inspired further possibilities, turning the sofa into a footstool or day bed.
The vast quantity of finishes and covering fabrics to choose from make the Camaleonda sofa perfect for any interior space. The re-issued piece can be covered in any swatch from B&B Italia’s textile and leather collection. From buttery tan leathers to deep tones in navy or aubergine, the 2020 Camaleonda sofa can be personalised to complement the unique atmosphere within any home space.
Chameleon-like in its mutable versatility, the Camaleonda sofa will redesign and re-inspire your interior environment. Harmonising elegance and geometric angularity, Bellini’s timeless piece will continue to make intrepid statements in the modern home space.
