Designer Odo Fioravanti had no idea ten years ago that his designs for the Babila chair would spark a decade-long journey of exquisite design and an ever-growing collection now at the heart of the Pedrali legacy.
The first version of the Babila chair was made entirely from wood. Fioravanti chose the name Babila, after Babylas, one of the saints of the church of Milan. The name represents Fioravanti’s loving tribute to the city of Milan, a city which he felt welcomed him with open arms and gave him the opportunities to build his life anew.
This was the beginning of a collection which would never stop growing, with the family adopting new members each year since its conception. After the original wooden design came an innovative plastic variation, followed by plastic chairs with wooden or metal legs, wooden stools, armchair versions, an XL variant and, finally, the Twist model for outdoor use: the latest in a long string of instant-classics with a rich legacy.
The Babila collection is characterised by a foundational sense of agility. This agility gives Babila the ability to flow between tradition and innovation, combining intergenerational knowledge of superior craftsmanship and design practices with the latest developments in technology and luxury materials. Babila’s flexibility between values of history and modernity gives it a timeless aura which cannot be denied.
Fioravanti reflects on the success of the collection with fondness and pride.
“Babila has become a Pedrali best seller, and this gives me a great sense of satisfaction. I am especially delighted to have been able to work on this project for such an extended period of time, taking care of each item in the collection down to the smallest detail and responding to the market’s ever evolving needs.”
Fioravanti’s continued hands-on involvement with the development of the collection has yielded some of the most recognisable figures in Pedrali’s entire range. The Babila XL “recycled grey” armchair is one such silhouette, an armchair poised on the precipice between tradition and innovation. A polypropylene shell made from entirely recycled materials – of equal halves consumer and industrial plastic waste – creates a striking shape which harmonises beautifully amongst the soft ash wood legs.
Pedrali’s latest edition, the elusive Babila Twist, continues the Babila legacy of harmony and form. Shaped by a profile of alternating straight and curved lines, the Babila Twist represents a connection between the rigidity of the artificial world and the soft curves of the human body. The combination of a woven body and a tubular steel frame articulates a balance between comfort and strength; the very junction where all outdoor furniture must meet.
Pedrali’s undeniable legacy of expert craftsmanship and world-leading design is built on a foundation of beloved collections like Babila. Learn more of the story behind Babila here with Pedrali.
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