Coffee table by UP & Up (Sold)
This minimal coffee table was atrributed to architect and urban planner Angelo Mangiarotti and produced by Up&Up in the Apuan alps in Italy during the 1970’s. The solid travertine stone with beautiful crevasses was not filled up for this table, to keep the natural texture of the limestone. The cylindrical pedestal has a single carved out bad right under the table top, as the only decoration. One small chip missing at the bottom of the foot, further in good vintage condition.
Up&Up hit the scene in 1969. At the foot of the Apuan alps where Michelangelo cut his stone, Up&Up have invited incredible designers – Sergio Asti, Ettore Sottsass, Matteo Thun – to explore new forms in marble.This minimal coffee table, designed by architect Angelo Mangiarotti, is cut from solid travertine stone. Travertine is a form of limestone that exhibits pleasing colour variations – its holey surface adding interesting texture. A perfect circle, on a simple cylindrical pedestal. The pedestal has carved out bands, which provide the only surface decoration. The minimal form allows the stone to steal the show. Good vintage condition, minor surface wear. 90 90 29.5cm F208
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Dimensions:
W: 80 cm
D: 80 cm
H: 32 cm
Weight: approx. 50 kilo
Material: travertine
Milan-born Angelo Mangiarotti (1921–2012) was a famous Italian architect, designer, teacher, and urban planner, whose innovative projects in design and architecture gained notoriety from the 1960’s onward.
A believer in rationalist principles, Mangiarotti balanced simplicity and purity in his work while adding character and lightness. He studied architecture at Milan Polytechnic but moved to the United States in 1953 where he taught at the Illinois Institute of Technology. There he worked with Bauhaus masters like Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. He would later have teaching positions at various Design & Architecture schools across the planet.
In the 1950s and 60s, Mangiarotti designed furniture using materials like plywood and foam-core. Together with Sergio Asti, Ettore Sottsass an Metteo Thun, Mangiarotti was invited by Up&Up in 1969 to explore new forms in marble. By the 1970s, he became renowned for his marble and stone tables with unique “gravity joints” that used the weight of the tabletop to hold the legs in place. His designs, such as the Eros collection and the Eccentrico table, combined simplicity, elegance, and sculptural presence, becoming iconic in both modern and traditional settings. He also made some beautiful Murano glass lamps for Artemide like the Lesbo and the Saffo.
After his return from the United States Mangiarotti opened an architecture firm with Bruno Morassutti in 1955. In 1989, he founded Mangiarotti & Associates in Tokyo. From 1986 to 1992, he was the artistic director of Colle Cristalleria, an important Tuscan glass and crystal company. Throughout his career, Mangiarotti emphasized functional, practical design with a strong sense of artistic expression. He died in 2012 leaving behind a legacy in Italian design.
