A Seating Revolution

This Architect Turned Furniture Maker Is Changing Chairs Forever

By Rebecca Sherman // Sep 21, 2016

The Moroso Gemma armchair was designed by Daniel Libeskind.

It took an architect and an engineering firm to pull off Patrizia Moroso’s latest furniture coup. But an elaborate level of involvement has been the Italian furniture maker’s signature since Patrizia Moroso took over as artistic director of her family’s business 30 years ago.

Moroso has pursued some of the most interesting talents of our era as collaborators, most lately teaming with Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind, whose debut Gemma seating collection is now available to order in the U.S.

**This architect has designed some great furniture.** (Courtesy architecturalrecord.com)

The angled, asymmetrical shapes derive from Libeskind’s love of complex and culturally layered architecture. Inspired by the multifaceted surface of crystals (a longtime Libeskind muse), Gemma’s mathematically rigorous steel frames come in an ombré-effect knitted fabric or solid-color leather upholstery. And, when Libeskind is involved, expect a little poetry.

The collection is a refined version of an earlier artistic effort in wood (and later, concrete) that Libeskind created in 2014 for a performance piece, Counting Rice, by Moroso’s friend, artist Marina Abramovic. The Gemma collection arrived at Moroso’s New York City showroom in February, but the armchair is the first piece in production and is available to order at Moroso’s Houston showroom.

Moroso, 2800 Kirby Dr., 713.630.6500