Roberto Palomba and Kartell
Italian architect and designer Roberto Palomba was in Sydney for Casa Kartell, an installation at Space Furniture that invited guests to experience the renowned brand’s collections in a real-life setting.
Space recently welcomed Italian architect and designer Roberto Palomba to Sydney for the launch of Casa Kartell at its Alexandria showroom. Through the installation and an insightful conversation, Palomba shared how Kartell has evolved from making iconic objects to offering a complete collection for both residential and commercial spaces. Palomba has played a pivotal role in shaping the brand’s next chapter, with focusing on materials including wood, ceramic and steel.
Casa Kartell was a 450-square-metre installation that replicated an entire apartment, one equally at home in Milan, Melbourne or Manhattan. It followed the logic of a real-world residence, with fluid segues between living and dining areas, bedrooms and bathrooms, and the outdoors, each a showcase for Kartell’s innovation, emotion-driven ethos and functionality.
At the installation’s opening night, Palomba – who, with Ludovica Serafini, founded Palomba Serafini Associati in Milan in 1994 – discussed his design philosophy, vision for the future and the most valuable lessons he’s learnt across a stellar career that spans architecture, interiors and product design (he estimates he’s created more than 500 objects). Outside of his long association with Kartell, he has also collaborated with leading brands like Foscarini and Viccarbe, companies where cultural heritage is as valued as technological innovation.
Four Ludovica Serafini + Roberto Palomba pieces were scattered throughout Casa Kartell, beginning in the outdoor area with the finely wrought metal pieces of the HiRay collection. Their striking burgundy Albert dining table and Belvedere Vienna dining chairs were the dramatic centrepoint of the living and dining space, while the Sound Rack storage system featured in the whimsical child’s bedroom.
The pieces reflect Kartell’s evolution over recent years, particularly in respect to both materiality and sustainability, an evolution in which Palomba has played a key role. He has driven the use of timber, steel and recycled materials such as textile waste, ocean plastics and coffee capsules. The Albert table, for example, has an aluminium base and a ceramic top, both of which are recyclable, while the Belvedere chair – which contains organic straw – is constructed in three easily dissembled pieces.
The winner of more than 70 international prizes, including the Compasso d’Oro and Wallpaper* design awards, Palomba’s work for Kartell is marked by bold innovation, timeless style and functional beauty – qualities that were evident throughout the Casa Kartell installation.
Lorenza Luti, Kartell’s CEO, says the Casa was an opportunity to broaden perceptions about the brand, “not as a sum of individual products, but as a complete living system, capable of shaping coherent and lived-in spaces. It reflected our versatility in both residential and contract contexts, offering flexible solutions that remain faithful to our identity.” Above all else, she says, the project was an “invitation to step inside, to stay, to feel at home”.
