area 121+ | ouverture

architect: Benedetto Quaquaro

year: 2009

It is more than a multipurpose object; it is something that has, like many of us, a double soul. It normally appears as a wooden monolith without any grips or projecting parts, with two small openings on the sides that reveal glimpses of a colourful interior. Those who know it from this perspective may use it as a side-table or bench, made more comfortable by a felt pad or an upholstered cushion. To get to know its second soul, one must pull out a blocking mechanism in stainless steel from its side; this will make it open and rotate, to assume a new configuration. The familiar table or bench thus reveals its new identity, a colourful ladder (or small bookcase), as if opened by a magic key that opens new levels of use and possibilities.