Studio Balutto Associati
Adriano Balutto – the founder of Studio Balutto – was born in Udine, Italy, but grew up in Manzano, Italy, the heart of the Chair Triangle, which later became a District. He began its activity when this area boasted an annual production of over 50 million chairs, almost 80% of Italian production, 50% of the European production and 30% of the world production.
In this context, getting in touch with the artisans, the producers of chairs, seems almost a must for Adriano who, young, is always with a pencil in his hand and active with watchful eyes, intent in reproducing on papers, styles, chairs, furnishings…but also landscapes, history, memories and emotions. His strong design abilities emerge, revealing an inexhaustible creativity, combined with a profound knowledge of construction techniques and materials.
The 1968 Sigfrido chair, conceived while in Rotterdam with a leader of the Consortium of Seggiolai, (Conseg), is Adriano’s first bestseller: the great successes of the 60s and 70s begin, together with the proposals for the modular living area named Osaka for the company Florida and a series of furniture, night and day collection, for Zanette and Mio Dino, big leaders of the time.
“My professional philosophy responds to the needs of production and, always, to industrial logic: furniture can not ignore the prevailing market trends” – recalls Balutto.
And with these ideas, Balutto designs for Calligaris at the end of the 80s. The first chair is a KD chair, with interchangeable seats and backs. Intended for the international market, it is sold and patented in a cardboard box with a handle, like a small briefcase. The collaboration then continues with various items, market successes
The success are followed by 15 Top Ten awards, Balutto design.
In 1997 at the Salon del Mueble in Santiago de Chile, Adriano won first prize in design for the best use of MDF panels in furniture production. In the same year he received the “Zlato Diplomo”, (Gold diploma) at the Ljubljana Exhibition of Furniture. The results in Adriano Balutto career’s continue: in the 80s he carries out research and studies for the company Roberti Rattan, in the Philippines and Indonesia, to develop a rattan collection that will contribute to the development of the company production.
A true “citizen of the world” who has managed to keep his roots in the beloved Friuli, land where he has born, while still he is working with foreign markets, especially in the USA.
The exploration of materials is wide: from steel to glass, from rattan to plastic, from ceramics to stone.
The fields of this exploration are different: from the objects, to the bathroom, the urban furniture, interior design, contract and outdoors, as Ernesto Nathan Rogers said, “to transform into a poetic song every formal representation of existence: from the spoon to the city “.
