ALPI produces
decorative surfaces in composite wood, an innovative material obtained with cutting-edge technologies. Poplar, lime or ayous wood is first peeled and stained by immersion. The sheets are then overlapped, glued and pressed to create the new material. ALPI solutions are used for
furniture and home accessories, cabinetmaking and restoration, and for the production of floors, door/window frames, panelling and acoustic panels. Alpi products are used in the private and contract sectors (hotels, shops, offices, public spaces), the automotive and nautical industry, for dashboards, interior finishes, and fashion design.
Inlays and geometries: Alpi wood surfaces
ALPI launched the Designer Collections in collaboration with Piero Lissoni, the brand's art director since 2015. He commissioned international offices and designers to create a collection of patterns that cannot be found in nature, inspired by handmade inlays with original colour lines. For the
Designer Collection by Piero Lissoni, the company's R&D team developed innovative technologies to create wood patterns that enhance the living material. The Ikat collection finds its inspiration in the reserve dyeing process used in the Ikat weaving mill in Malaysia and Indonesia. The patterns are geometric, simple, slightly blurred and combine similar or subtly contrasting colours. The Xilo 2.0 pattern is composed of a calibrated chromatic scale of four colours in sequence, while Tarsie reinterprets the geometric motifs of traditional wood.
Other designers have created collections with a geometric approach, starting with the
Designer Collection by Mendini, a re-edition of the first wood inspired by pointillism created by ALPI for Atelier Mendini in 1991. The
Designer Collection by Patricia Urquiola has a geometric grid created by juxtaposing woods with different colour gradations. The geometric texture of the
Designer Collection by Martino Gamper combines natural tones with chromatic accents in three variants.The Swedish designers of the
Designer Collection by Front created two patterns united by optical effects. Drapery Wood is a two-colour veneer with squares placed side by side to create the illusion of movement, like a drape. Grid Wood, inspired by the inlay technique, is made of four types of wood, variously coloured to create the impression of a three-dimensional surface.
ALPI finishes: inspirations from nature for new textures
Some designers took their inspiration from the plant and animal world. The
Designer Collection by Raw Edges reinterprets the natural grain of fir and pine with graphic motifs modelled in soft curves. Seen from afar, Wavy Fir has a natural look, but up close, the movement created by the dynamism of the graphics becomes evident. The
Designer Collection by Kengo Kuma, who explores the expressive capacities of raw material, is also inspired by natural wood. The Japanese architect designed Maritime Pine and Japanese Cedar, reproducing their barks. The
Designer Collection by Ettore Sottsass (from the 1980s) is now available in four colour variants that enhance the wood grain. Inspiration for the
Designer Collection by Fratelli Campana comes from the Amazon. The Piaçava and Pirarucu veneers reproduce different textures. The former refers to the coconut palm bearing the same name, whose fibres are used to build strong roofs; the latter to the scales of a freshwater fish, one of the largest in the world, also considered a living fossil.
The
Designer Collection by GamFratesi includes two minimalist patterns - Cloudy, inspired by the beauty of clouds and their transience, and Rain, which captures the impalpability and lightness of rain in a stylised sign.
Wood Textiled by Matteo Ragni proposes four decorative wood patterns in neutral shades of grey and beige. As the name suggests, the collection has a sartorial inspiration, with textures reminiscent of classic men's fabrics - twill, pinstripe, velvet and herringbone. The
Wood+ collection combines decorative multi-laminate wood veneer with other materials. Radiant has transparent polycarbonate inserts allowing light to penetrate and create fascinating luminous effects. Silver Rail alternates veneer with metal lines that mark the surface and reflect the light.
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