Autoprogettazione T Wardrobe
By providing plans for easy-to-build pieces of furniture, Enzo Mari encourages users to take a critical view of current production. Through building furniture yourself, you get a different perspective on that furniture and what it takes to build it. You are reminded that each thing you buy already made has to have someone else going through this whole process. With this in mind, you are faced with the reality that each object takes materials and labor and has an impact on the earth and the people building it.
Enzo Mari designed the Autoprogettazione collection to be simple and easily built. They use only standard sizes of wood and nails. There are no extraneous parts. But just because the Autoprogettazione designs are simple, it doesn’t mean there wasn’t lots of thought and careful decisions that went into it. Every detail was carefully thought through and various features were worked into each design while still staying within the bounds of the standard sizes of materials.
In the Autoprogettazione book, Enzo Mari writes, “Everyone should have a project: after all it is the best way to avoid being designed yourself.” The physical act of making and the creativity involved in that leads to a sense of self and agency for one’s life. In a capitalistic society that wants you to only work and buy things, creating and making can be a powerful act of resistance.
Mariolina Chair
CAD Model
Model made from polyurethane foam
Mariolina is a simple and minimal kitchen chair designed by Enzo Mari and made from a powder-coated or chromed steel tube frame and an injection-molded polypropylene seat and back. It is designed with great attention to detail, with slim legs and a curved backrest optimized for comfort and good posture. The form is based on archetypal shapes and common styles from the 1940s and 50s, but it resolves all the visual and technical issues with these earlier chairs.
Mariolina exemplifies the design philosophy of "Super Normal" because of how it draws from traditional kitchen chairs. These chairs are normal because of their commonness, but the Mariolina is Super Normal because of how it perfects these forms. It goes beyond the normal by being designed with such effort and attention to detail that eliminates the need for any more kitchen chairs. There is just enough to the Mariolina; there is no excess of material or features. Mariolina is not meant to stand out or draw attention. Rather, it is designed to be a simple, high-quality chair that fulfills the purpose of providing a good seat and nothing more.