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'Pool' Modular Sofa, by Colani , Price Includes Reupholstery & choice of color

About the Item

Extremely rare and huge modular 'Pool' sofa by recently deceased German Space Age design pioneer Luigi Colani (1928-2019). I have been collecting elements of Colani's rare modular 'pool' sofa from all over Europe during the past 15 years and these are the very last of the remaining pieces from my personal collection. The listed price includes reupholstery in a choice of colors and also includes a matching 'Pool' sofa drinks table (either black or white) with lower storage compartment for magazines etc . The reupholstery process will take two months so please allow for this . Should you be wondering about the standard of the upholstery work ,this is all undertaken in-house in my own upholstery atelier, please refer to the beautiful set in white which we recently restored and sold to a client in Beverly Hills. For the upholstery we wll be using a special high quality quilted, double layer 'Febrik 'Gentle 2' stretch fabric supplied through the Danish textile manufacturer Kvadrat. . You can choose the color from the range of colors offered for this fabric. Please see last image for color range. Please allow two months for the reupholstery process. It is extremely difficult to find a suitable fabric today which is going to last the rigours of use that such a seating environment requires. 'Gentle 2' fabric has an extremely high 90,000 Martindale rub wear rating combined with enough three dimensional stretch within the fabruc to take up the shape of the elements without wriinkling and to take the rigours of being walked on etc. Additionally ,and very importantly, this fabric has a deep enough velour pile to very closely match that of the origjnal 'pool' fabric range. The outer layer of the fabric is 70% new wool. We will install zippers exactly, as per the original fabric , so the fabric can be removed for dry cleaning. For a complete technical specification of this fabric please see below. This set of elements ,as illustrated in images 1 to 5 ,comprises 10 standard seating elements, 4 corner elements and 11 flat cushion elements. and also includes the rare optional removeable headrest cushion elements which simply hang over the top of the seating elements and 'half moon' elements which can either be used as under leg support elements which make lying down in the 'pool' more ergonomic and comfortable or they can equally be used as lumbar supports to effectively alter the angle of the seat back. These rare loose and removeable elements are usually missing or lost. HISTORY:- The 'pool' sofa was designed in 1970 by German designer Luigi Colani for Rosenthal's avant garde 'studio line' design range and is the epitome of cool Minimalist Space Age design, very '2001' a space odditiy. The 'Pool' modular sofa was designed to be completely flexible , the elements can be arranged into any configuration the user requires, the 'pool' can also provide a wonderful sunken "conversation pit" environment too. A nice enclosed and symmetrical layout would be to have one central opening at each end of the pool. Please see vintage photo of a blue 'pool' sofa sunk into the floor with this configuration. A large set of 'pool' elements such as this complete with a matching table is extremely rare, a unique opportunity that I am able to offer as I have decided to sell all of my remaining collection of elements gathered together over the past 15 years.. Once these are sold that's it, it would take me many years to find a set of elements of this large scale again. Conditions Of Sale: $20,000 USD desposit to be paid upfront ie before restoration begins , $10,000 USD of which is non refundable as these are sunk costs to cover the client's choice of fabric color and the labour costs required for reupholstery. Dimensions: Each seating/corner element measures:- Width 31.5 inches X Depth 31.5 inches X Height 23. 62 inches with a seating height of 5.9 inches OR Width 80cm x Depth 80cm x Height 60cm with a seating height of 15cm Literature: 'CHAIRS -1000 masteroieces of modern design,1800 to the present day' by Fiell, page 569 Orignal 'Rosenthal' brochure 1970, 'DOMUS' June 1972 'Contemporary Furniture'by Sembach, pg. 144.   FABRIC Fabric Description And Reasons For Using This Special Textile : Below are a description of the fabric taken from the KVADRAT website, plus full technical specifications for the fabric plus a brief résumé on why we selected this particular fabric for this project. It is 75% new wool plus 25% synthetics which are required for the stretchability in both directions , a quality hard to find in modern fabrics and essential for the 'pool' as it is designed to be walked on etc. This fabirc is manufactured by the dutch company 'FEBRIK' who produce the fabric for the renowned Danish textile company 'KVADRAT'. The fabric is called 'Gentle 2' and the color code is '0203'. it is not a pure white but a white with a hint of grey in it, that is how I would describe it, a bit like snow, please see colour plate photo taken directly from the KVADRAT website . This is a special high quality, thick double layer knit fabric which stretches in both directions and is extremely hard wearing (90,000 martindale rub rating) , both these attributes are required for the 'pool' and are specifications which are hard to find in modern fabrics. We took a lot of time researching the right fabric for this restoration project, it had to have the right qualities and also have a surface finish as close to the original velour originally used as possible. The manufacturer 'FEBRIK' also make the textile used on the Bouroullec brothers' iconic 'ploum' sofa. Here is a description of the fabric taken from the Kvadrat website:- "Gentle 2 is the only knitted stretch velvet upholstery textile on the market. Designed by Febrik, it comes in a refreshed colour scale and combines an inviting presence with a sumptuous, soft pile. The textile is constructed by knitting loops through a base layer and subsequently shearing the surface. Thanks to a subtly striated surface which derives from the naturally irregular thicknesses of the woollen yarns, Gentle 2 features a rich surface with an elegant shine. Gentle 2 has a particularly opulent feel as it is laminated onto a 2mm thick base foam. This ensures the textile stands out with a voluminous expression that sets it apart from traditional woven velvets. The updated colour palette neatly compliments Gentle 2’s soft, comfortable expression. It comprises light pastels and clear bright hues, such as lavender, cream, tangerine and electric blue. Suitable for public and private spaces, Gentle 2 offers excellent stretchability due to its knitted construction. Consequently, it clings to curves in a particularly elegant way and is ideal for upholstering organic shapes, as well as any other form" Below are the full technical specifications: Composition top layer 75% new wool / 25% synthetics Composition total 60% new wool / 20% nylon / 20% polyester Backing 2.0mm - 35 kg/m3 PU foam with a backing knit Weight 580 gr/m² Width 175 cm Number of Colours 21 Design by FEBRIK Abrasion 90.000 Pilling 4-5 Colour fastness to light 6-7 Colour fastness to rubbing 4-5 / 4-5 Flame resistance EN 1021-1/2, BS 5852 part 1, DIN 4102-B2, US Cal. Tech. Bull. 117, IMO FTP Code part 8.
  • Creator:
    Rosenthal (Manufacturer),Luigi Colani (Designer)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 23.63 in (60 cm)Width: 157.49 in (400 cm)Depth: 157.49 in (400 cm)Seat Height: 5.91 in (15 cm)
  • Style:
    Space Age (Of the Period)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1970
  • Condition:
    Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. This set will be reupholstered in FEBRIK 'gentle 2' fabric which is included in the price.
  • Seller Location:
    bergen op zoom, NL
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU930128450772

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