Andromeda_nastro

I sit here at my laptop and think. Can I put my thoughts together? I see a blue sky, 30 degrees and humid but this isn’t a tropic island: why is it so hot? Why does my knee ache? Is being 40 years old as fascinating as people keep telling me? I do go on, day in and day out.

A few days ago Gianluca suggested to me, “write anything at all”.

Wait, I think something moved inside my brain.

“Write anything at all!”. It could be the right suggestion!

I shift the line of sight from the almost blank page to the passageway right outside my office.

Alberto passes by, silently. I guess he is coming back from the frame shop. The clue being the roll of technical drawings he carries.

NASTRO

Elio – face mask hanging around his neck – expresses some perplexity over the colour intensity he is trying to reach in glass. Michela insists – her hand-painted colour charts in her hands. They spar a little.

A Nastro comprising five hundred and forty glass elements has to be installed over a staircase. The guys are leaving. “But when will the micro Nastro be ready for the market?”, Denise asks while making some photocopies, always seeking to tip off her clients. Actually, Silvia just put down on my desk the CAD drawings to print in the catalogue.

The testing of smaller flexible metal elements was made late spring. The development took some time.

I close the door.

My first thought: my office faces a very crowded corridor.

Second thought: what happened?

It took a couple of years from very first launch of Nastro into market back in year 2000 to begin to see the process by which its actual limits could be continually formed and reformed. The more questions, the more specific preferences, the more information our Clients submitted really fired our imagination and led us to seriously consider what might be created and actualised in new additional forms. We started wondering about the preferences conveyed. Were they a reflection of the preferences of individuals involved in buying Nastro? Or were they a reflection of cultural experiences and social circumstances? Or, again, were they a reflection of the nature of the product itself?

From our own vantage point, we guessed they were a combination of all these factors.

Nastro’s Clients we had since the very beginning – interior designers or architects or private individuals – they are people who experienced a specific need well before the majority. That’s why they have been so important to us.

They made it necessary to develop ideas or other practical ways to deal with their needs without changing the essence of the design.

As it often happens when looking ahead, too busy and immersed in daily activities, we did not immediately realize that we had just started the process of design research. In fact, our Client’s feedback began to have real meaning as our designers responded.

What caught my attention and seemed interesting to me was that the role of our in-house design team was no longer fixed, but was actually changing. Without even being conscious we asked them to take a more pro-active perception in the development of Nastro. And this change, – to a large extent - influenced us all.

I now have the feeling that this was the real initiation of change in the man made glass products we make.

Once the essential design is determined, then more specifics of its forms can be conceived.

We are getting better and better in expanding the content of our product to match our understanding of design.

The earlier edition has focused primarily on usability (2000), then it moved to include pleasure and emotion (2003), and now it includes broader issues and concepts.

You only know the non-existing context where to fit a Nastro fixture. You imagine it.

This is until now our only vision.

Environment changes. It is dynamic. Interiors are subject to change by human intervention, intended or unintended. This meant – and still means – we have to seek to reconceptualize the existing, when talking about Nastro collection.

It is a scenario-method of working, suited to generate possible specification-in-context and practices on a different level of sophistication.

And what is a scenario but a “what if” story”?

The majority of our customized Nastro models – linear, multiple, circular … - often begin with analysis of the context into which Nastro design must fit.

Pause. I need a break.

5

The coffee-corner is near my office. In the passageway, of course. Where else could it be? Turn left. Turn right. The espresso machine is where I go to gather most of my thoughts. Whatever the situation I’m facing. I stare at the hazel brown cream trickling down turning into black-brown. Is it just a matter of knowledge? Is it the spectrum of expertise? Well, I believe that any kind of knowledge is personal and any personal knowledge is rendered by expertise.

I slowly sip my coffee. As I contemplate – one by one – people working downstairs, at the furnace come to my mind and then those at the grindstone and then those men in the assembly department. I walk down and look at them going back and forth. Down the stairs the scent is different. Expertise here is not simply a matter of “talent”, but is the result of dedication, motivation, concentration. No romanticism, I’m sorry. But the willingness to work hard on improving performances. Here stands the other side of the nature of human creativity. It is here that our understanding of “experience” is translated into the “look and feel” of our product. How many hours Gianluca and the design team spend here, transmitting a concept, attending the creation of glass prototypes, discussing feasibility. Through Nastro we first experienced the close collaboration between human resources.

Not only drawings going up and down the stairs but a process that offers the opportunity for critical discourses, intellectual conversations, basic fundamentals on chemistry, arguments on aesthetics …

Such collaborative dialogue had the right effect on the evolution of Nastro as a piece of art. This approach implies a direct experimental encounter with art. So far, I’m sure you will agree with me, we might look at these glass artworks as objects of knowledge in their own right.

Being myself in charge of marketing I know that understanding a market is fundamentally different from understanding what to design. I need to understand what people will buy and how people make their buying decision; the design team instead need to understand what will fit into people’s lives. I believe there is only a limited overlap between these questions.

Better for me to have a short walk outside the factory. At the end of the lane there’s the lighthouse. As I said this is not a tropic island but Murano still is an island. I lean on the low wall facing the lagoon. It is still 30° degrees and humid. I rest my mind focusing on the surface of the water.

Wait a minute … w a i t a m i n u t e … I don’t know what a Nastro element looks to you but, in this very moment, it looks like curling surf to me (but please let that be our secret!).

Marzia Vianello

6

8 109/HLS/85/AL

s JE T

BLAC K

11

10 9 / WS / 0 2 / AL

s

AGL OW

12 109/HLS/116/AL s

OCEAN BLUE

15

109/HLS/96/AL

s

DESER TA

16 109/HLL/02/AL s

AG LOW

19

109/HLS/111/AL

s

C ITR U S

21

10 9 / WS / 11 3 / AL

s

S UN S TON E

22 109/WSS/110/AL s

NAC AR AT

25

109/HLS/118/AL

s

KAJAL

26 C ELEST E

>

YOGIS

29

10 9 / WS / 8 4 / AL

s

COCCIN EOUS

30 SUBZ ER O

>

OCEAN BL UE

33

10 9 / HL L / 10 8 / AL

s

TAN GERIN E

RO CK C RYSTAL

< 35

AGLO W

36 109/HLS/117/AL s

CELESTE

39

109/HLS/109/AL

s

WISTAR IA

41

C ITR US

42 10 9 / WS / 8 5 / AL s

JET BL ACK

44 109/HLL/79/AS s

LAZU LITE

47

109/HLS/108/AL

s

TANGE RINE

48 10 9 / HL S / 8 3 / AL s

CL ARET

JET BLAC K

< 51

NIMBU S

53

109/WS/118/AL

s

KAJAL

55

109/HLL/109/AL

s

WISTARIA

58 109/HLSS/113/AL s

SUNSTONE

61

109/WS/01/AS

s

SU BZE RO

62 6 OCE AN BLUE

nero traslucido

> 7

SUBZER O

65

109/WS/114/AL

s

ROCK CRYSTAL

109/HLB/85/AB

TANG ERINE

< 67

s

JET BLACK

69

109/HLS/107/AL

s

NIM BUS

70 109/HLL/83/AL s

CLAR ET

72 109/HLS/114/AL s

ROCK CRYSTAL

75

10 9 / WS / 111 / AL

s

CITRUS

E AU-D E-NI L

< 79

LAZ ULIT E

80 109/HLSS/83 s

COC C INEO U S

83

109/WS/116/AL

s

OCEAN BLUE

85

10 9 / HL L / 8 0 / AS

s

YOGIS

86 109/RC SS/82/O S s

CHI CHI

89

109/HLSS/116/AL

s

OCEAN BLUE

91

109/HLL/85/AL

s

JET BLACK

93

SUBZER O

94 DESERTA

>

WIS TARIA

97

109/RCS/84/AS

s

COCCINEOUS

99

10 9 / WS / 8 2 / OS

s

CH ICH I

100 SU NSTONE

>

D ESE RTA

102 109/HLSS/81/AS s

EAU-DE-NIL

104 109/WS/79/AS s

LAZU LITE

106 107

109/R C H/110/AL

s

NACARAT

109

10 9 / WS / 9 0 7 / AL

s

N IMBUS

111

109/HLS/83/AL

s

C LARET

112 113

s

s

1109/HLSS/116/AL

109/HLSS/81/AS

EAU -DE -NIL

OC EAN BLU E

114 109/WS/108/AL s

TANGERINE

CO CC INEOUS

< 117

C HICHI

119

109/HLS/01/AL

s

SU BZE RO

120 109/HLL/111/AL s

C ITRU S

122 10 9 / HL S S / 8 6 / AL s

CY GN ET

125

109/HLSS/02/AL

s

AG LOW

126 109/HLL/83/AL s

C LARE T

128 109/HLSS/01/AL s

SU BZE RO

130 109/HLB/86/AB s

C YG NET

ROCK CRY S TAL

>

133

10 9 / HL L / 8 0 / AS

s

YOGIS

135

109/WS/117/AL

s

CELESTE

136 109/HLS/02/AL s

AG LOW

141

109/HLL/114/AL

s

ROCK CRYSTAL

142 109/WS/112/AL s

M OND AINE

145

10 9 / WS / 9 6 / AL

s

DES ERTA

146 109/HLSS/110/AL s

NAC ARAT

149

10 9 / WS / 10 9 / AL

s

WIS TARIA

150 109/HLS/02/AS s

AG LOW

152 109/HLSS/113/AS s

ROCK CRYSTAL

154 10 9 / WS / 8 3 / AL s

CL ARET

157

109/HLL/112/AL

s

MO ND AINE

158

161

164

167

168

JET BLACK s

109/CLB/85/AL 170

The past four years have confirmed to be an important

All of the Company’s collections have benefited

I’m particularly grateful to all the employees and

period in the history of Andromeda. Notwithstanding

from management’s strategic focus on creativity;

workers whose commitment and professionalism has

the strong growth realized in the past and the difficult

evidenced by an extended product offering

enabled Andromeda to achieve the results and to affect

economic environment, Andromeda continues its growth.

including complimentary lines, and an increasingly

the transformation into a professionally managed, well

Organic growth was driven primarily by the Company’s

important flash products.

diversified, international Company.

core business: contemporary design. In particular, the

Also, the Company’s continued international

Nastro collection continues to improve brand awareness

expansion program has been instrumental in

Marzia Vianello

and an increasingly loyal customer base.

driving growth.

Director of Marketing & Business Development

171

Andromeda’s vision is to be leader in INNOVATION for the hand-made glass environment through the KNOWLEDGE and EXPERTISE in design and production.

Our philosophy is founded on the commitment to achieve excellence, while satisfying the needs of each Client and reaching solutions that respond to their context.

This vision is matched today by the exclusive co-operation and creativity of the world most celebrated designers.

In our nearly thirty five years of practice we have undergone immense growth and significant changes from classical Venetian tradition up to the extreme use of hand-made glass.

Today we are an entrepreneurial firm, flat and non-hierarchical, that emphasizes team work, innovation and creation of real value. Andromeda today is comprised of people who steel feel the passion and zeal of our original vision. We have organized ourselves around our Clients, and our

Company’s Profile

goal is to work effectively with them wherever they have a presence.

At Andromeda, design is not an abstract exercise in combining shapes, forms and materials.

Whatever a project’s size or budget, we are just as comfortable working with a retailer across the street as we are enlightening an hospitality resort on the other side of the world.

The firm has conceived, designed, produced and fitted for corporate offices, banking and financial institutions; government buildings; residential environments; leisure and hospitality industry; public and private institutions.

The goal is to provide the highest level of quality and design for all of our Clients on each and every project. The talents of our designers, backed by our company’s key teams give us the skill to integrate the complex technical requirements with the more subjective aesthetic and psychological perceptions of light.

50 St. James London Clubs London

174

177

178

181

182

Boutique Celleno Rome (Italy)

Private Bank (U.S.A.)

Hotel Ixian Grand Rhode (Greece)

Hotel Ixian Grand Rhode (Greece)

Las Dunas Hotel Marbella (Spain)

Jewellery Leicht Pforzheim (Germany)

Private Bank (U.S.A.)

Private house Mouille Point (South Africa)

Private Bank (U.S.A.)

I believe understanding artistic research and the role it may play in design is one of the key challenges of our times. The combination of both helped me discover how my Company could actually move forward a conceptual knowledge which would enhance our overall quality production.

The natural emphasis on authenticity and originality which permeates Andromeda’s way of working makes Nastro available for the cult value of non-reproducible. This means you should try to imagine a shape, to imagine a nuance.

Gianluca Vecchi President

I was given a great deal of freedom in interpreting, changing and improving Nastro.

Amused and perplexed at the same time, I kept true to the glass element designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa of course, though clearly defining and affirming its existence in the spatial environment: the world.

As an artist I approached the Nastro in terms of shape first: the quality of such an “object” depends on the constant relations of position and proportionate distance among all the points composing its outline. From this point of view Nastro offered me endless compositional possibilities depending upon my mood, imagination, sense of discovery and theory of colour.

To this latter, I applied my study and research, being the colour a formal property of art and a property of object, intended as a key component in picturing space and therefore establishing space and shape in terms others than dimension or with no explicit references to dimension.

My goal was to create a sort of colours palette. When you dip and coalesce a paintbrush into a colour, or in more than one colour, something amazing happens: this gesture is the very new dimension of an artwork.

You see, a structure may suggest a colour but a colour may suggest a zillion of worlds. Make yourself the question: which is the limit of a shade of blue, or of a shade of yellow? It looks like a koan zen as there’s no answer.

Colour goes always beyond the sign. And what happens if you run after a shade? It happens that you will probably see a world (a structure) no one else see, no one else even imagine but that can be realized.

Michela Vianello Painter & Sculptor

187

Technical session

Colours 01

82

96

112

83

107

113

02

84

108

114

79

85

109

116

80

86

110

117

81

01

SUBZERO

02

AGLOW

79

LAZULITE

80

YOGIS

81

EAU-DE-NIL

82

CHICHI

83

CLARET

84

COCCINEOUS

85

JET BLACK

86

CYGNET

87

SATORI

96

DESERTA

107

NIMBUS

108

TANGERINE

109

WISTARIA

110

NACARAT

111

CITRUS

112

MONDAINE

113

SUNSTONE

114

ROCK CRYSTAL

116

OCEAN BLUE

117

CELESTE

118

KAJAL

87

111

118

NASTRO 109 - HLL

ITEM CODE: SIZES: BULBS:

109 / HLL “NASTRO” Ø 1300 mm - 51” H 1800 mm - 70” G9 - 20 x 40 W /220 V MAX

WEIGHT: AVAILABLE FRAMES:

ITEM CODE: SIZES: BULBS:

109 / HLS “NASTRO” Ø 800 mm - 31” H 1000 mm - 39” FROSTED CLASSE 1 - CE

FROSTED CLASSE 1 - CE

USA: G9 - 12 x 40 W /110 V MAX

USA: G9 - 20 x 40 W /110 V MAX

FROSTED CLASS 1 - UL LISTED

FROSTED CLASS 1 - UL LISTED

Nr. OF GLASS NASTROs:

NASTRO 109 - HLS

80 115 KG

Nr. OF GLASS NASTROs: WEIGHT: AVAILABLE FRAMES:

52 80 KG SHINY NICKEL

SHINY NICKEL

OPAQUE NICKEL

OPAQUE NICKEL

OPAQUE GOLD

OPAQUE GOLD

192

193

NASTRO 109 - HLSS

ITEM CODE: SIZES: BULBS:

Nr. OF GLASS NASTROs: WEIGHT: AVAILABLE FRAMES:

194

109 / HLSS “NASTRO” Ø 600 mm - 24” H 680 mm - 28” G9 - 6 x 40 W /220 V MAX

NASTRO 109 - RCL

ITEM CODE: SIZES: BULBS:

109 / RCL “NASTRO” Ø1500 mm - 59” H 900 mm - 35” G9 - 20 x 40 W /220 V MAX

FROSTED CLASSE 1 - CE

FROSTED CLASSE 1 - CE

USA: G9 - 6 x 40 W /110 V MAX

USA: G9 - 20 x 40 W /110 V MAX

FROSTED CLASS 1 - UL LISTED

FROSTED CLASS 1 - UL LISTED

18 15 KG SHINY NICKEL

Nr. OF GLASS NASTROs: WEIGHT: AVAILABLE FRAMES:

80 100 KG SHINY NICKEL

OPAQUE NICKEL

OPAQUE NICKEL

OPAQUE GOLD

OPAQUE GOLD

195

NASTRO 109 - RCS

ITEM CODE: SIZES: BULBS:

Nr. OF GLASS NASTROs: WEIGHT: AVAILABLE FRAMES:

196

109 / RCS “NASTRO” Ø1000 mm - 39” H 600 mm - 24” G9 - 12 x 40 W /220 V MAX

NASTRO 109 - RCSS

ITEM CODE: SIZES: BULBS:

109 / RCSS “NASTRO” Ø 450 mm - 18” H 200 mm - 4” G9 - 4 x 40 W /220 V MAX

FROSTED CLASSE 1 - CE

FROSTED CLASSE 1 - CE

USA: G9 - 12 x 40 W /110 V MAX

USA: G9 - 4 x 40 W /110 V MAX

FROSTED CLASS 1 - UL LISTED

FROSTED CLASS 1 - UL LISTED

52 65 KG SHINY NICKEL

Nr. OF GLASS NASTROs: WEIGHT: AVAILABLE FRAMES:

12 21 KG SHINY NICKEL

OPAQUE NICKEL

OPAQUE NICKEL

OPAQUE GOLD

OPAQUE GOLD

197

NASTRO 109 - WS

ITEM CODE: SIZES:

BULBS:

Nr. OF GLASS NASTROs: WEIGHT: AVAILABLE FRAMES:

198

109 / WS “NASTRO” Ø 700 mm - 27”

NASTRO 109 - WSS

ITEM CODE: SIZES:

109 / WSS “NASTRO” Ø 500 mm - 20”

H 700 mm - 27”

H 500 mm - 20”

DEPTH 50 mm - 20”

DEPTH 30 mm - 12”

G9 - 7 x 40 W /220 V MAX

BULBS:

G9 - 4 x 40 W /220 V MAX

FROSTED CLASSE 1 - CE

FROSTED CLASSE 1 - CE

USA: G9 - 7 x 40 W /110 V MAX

USA: G9 - 4 x 40 W /110 V MAX

FROSTED CLASS 1 - UL LISTED

FROSTED CLASS 1 - UL LISTED

18 20 KG SHINY NICKEL

Nr. OF GLASS NASTROs: WEIGHT: AVAILABLE FRAMES:

8 9 KG SHINY NICKEL

OPAQUE NICKEL

OPAQUE NICKEL

OPAQUE GOLD

OPAQUE GOLD

199

NASTRO 109 - HLB

ITEM CODE: SIZES: BULBS:

Nr. OF GLASS NASTROs: WEIGHT: AVAILABLE FRAMES:

200

109 / HLB “NASTRO” Ø1600 mm - 63” H 2500 mm - 98” G9 - 54 x 40 W /220 V MAX

NASTRO 109 - HLF

ITEM CODE: SIZES: BULBS:

109 / HLF “NASTRO” Ø 900 mm - 35” H 2600 mm - 102” G9 - 60 x 40 W /220 V MAX

FROSTED CLASSE 1 - CE

FROSTED CLASSE 1 - CE

USA: G9 - 54 x 40 W /110 V MAX

USA: G9 - 60x 40 W /110 V MAX

FROSTED CLASS 1 - UL LISTED

FROSTED CLASS 1 - UL LISTED

192 350 KG SHINY NICKEL

Nr. OF GLASS NASTROs: WEIGHT: AVAILABLE FRAMES:

234 400 KG SHINY NICKEL

OPAQUE NICKEL

OPAQUE NICKEL

OPAQUE GOLD

OPAQUE GOLD

201

NASTRO 109 - CLB ITEM CODE: SIZES:

109 / CLB “NASTRO” L 2700 mm - 106” H 800 mm - 31” DEPTH 700 mm - 27”

BULBS:

G9 - 36 x 40 W /220 V MAX FROSTED CLASSE 1 USA: G9 - 36 x 40 W /110 V MAX FROSTED CLASS 1 - UL LISTED

Nr. OF GLASS NASTROs: WEIGHT: AVAILABLE FRAMES:

154 214 KG SHINY NICKEL OPAQUE NICKEL OPAQUE GOLD

NASTRO 109 - CLL ITEM CODE: SIZES:

109 / CLL “NASTRO” L 1500 mm - 59” H 800 mm - 31” DEPTH 700 mm - 27”

BULBS:

G9 - 24 x 40 W /220 V MAX FROSTED CLASSE 1 - CE USA: G9 - 24 x 40 W /110 V MAX FROSTED CLASS 1 - UL LISTED

Nr. OF GLASS NASTROs: WEIGHT: AVAILABLE FRAMES:

80 120 KG SHINY NICKEL OPAQUE NICKEL OPAQUE GOLD

202

203

NASTRO 109 - RCH

ITEM CODE: SIZES:

109 / RCH “NASTRO” Ø EXT 2000 mm - 79” Ø INT. H 500 mm - 20”

BULBS:

G9 - 48 x 40 W /220 V MAX FROSTED CLASSE 1 - CE USA: G9 - 48 x 40 W /110 V MAX FROSTED CLASS 1 - UL LISTED

Nr. OF GLASS NASTROs: WEIGHT: AVAILABLE FRAMES:

144 230 KG SHINY NICKEL OPAQUE NICKEL OPAQUE GOLD

204

205

NASTRO Design Afra & Tobia Scarpa

Artistic implementation Michela Vianello

Technical development Alberto Furtak Silvia Mormiro

Special thanks to 50 Saint James’ – London Clubs Boutique Celleno Hotel Ixian Grand Jewellery Leicht Las Dunas Hotel Shutterstock

For information about Andromeda’s commercial network please browse our website www.andromedamurano.it or write to: marzia@andromedamurano.it

Creation and general coordination Diego Lazzarini Design - Venezia info@diegolazzarinidesign.com General lay-out Diego Lazzarini Design - Venezia Contributions by Pietro Menozzi Giovanni Lazzarini Photographs by © Diego Lazzarini 2007 - all rights reserved Diego Lazzarini Design - Venezia Texts Marzia Vianello Gianluca Vecchi Michela Vianello

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All the products of “Nasto” Collection are registered products of Andromeda International S.r.l.

Printed in Venice, January 2007