Radice is a three-legged wooden stool, the result of Industrial Facility’s second collaboration with Italian furniture producer Mattiazzi. Unlike many other Italian producers, Mattiazzi keeps all the facets of wood production under one roof. By default, they have become a rare company that is able to shape wood as if it were plastic, while embracing ever-increasing challenges through their own R&D. Industrial Facility have continued to push Mattiazzi further into the exploration of robot-craftsmanship – following on from their first collaboration with the Branca Chair.

Radice finds its underlying beauty and simplicity in its structure. It is the bringing together of the front-half of a traditional 4-legged stool with a single back leg – the root. It is a visual improvisation, where two things come together unexpectedly. “Radice has some tension in its form and it is a slight surprise that the third leg works as well as it does to resolve the overall structure. It is in some ways structurally diagrammatic, yet is made comfortable visually and physically because of how this third leg supports the seat,” says Sam Hecht.

The backrest is small and reassuring, allowing a coat or handbag to rest on it; and the seat is open for large and small people. It is light both visually and in weight and uses no screws or metal fittings, yet also passes stringent BIFMA standards ensuring it is structurally sound, stable and reliable. The wood stain options for Radice are based on the cycle of an autumn leaf turning colour. Radice will be available from Autumn 2013 in 650mm (stool height) and 450mm (chair height) with cushion options.

http://www.industrialfacility.co.uk