Citterio’s Suita is Just Right for Vitra

There’s a certain celestial concordance in the pleasing assonance between “Suita” and “Vitra,” which I take to mean that the chosen manufacturer for Antonio Citterio‘s (the name has an assonance all its own) new modular sofa system could have been none other. Vitra is certainly one of the giants of the A and D scene. Count among the company’s most frequent collaborators Josef Albers, Ron Arad, Mario Bellini, the Bouroullec brothers, and Charles & Ray Eames (and that’s just the first three letters of the alphabet).

Suita. Designed by Antonio Citterio for Vitra.

Vitra’s campus is in Weil am Rhein, Germany, but the aesthetic is pure Italian… scratch that, for on closer inspection one can see a bit of Prussian perfection seeping in. The company’s products have a light Italian flair, to be sure, but they also are without ostentation–purely functional and efficiently constructed, with nary a bell or whistle.

Citterio’s Suita is Just Right for Vitra

Citterio’s Suita is Just Right for Vitra

Citterio’s Suita is Just Right for Vitra

Citterio’s Suita is Just Right for Vitra

The company is rightly proud of Citterio’s new sofa concept. Fresh off its Salone debut, the modular system features low and high-back sofas and loveseats, matching low tables, and even a detachable shelf that converts the sofa’s backside into a handy workspace. The PR pics illustrate one way in which you might put the ensemble together (note how the high-back section renders the long axis into an inviting divan), but Suita is quite transformable should you desire an alternative configuration. Available colors for Suita include a sunny if earthy yellow, a white as bright as a Mediterranean cloud, and a steely blue (definitely the Saxon influence). The light and lithe looking legs are die-cast aluminum and finish options include leather or fabric. Suita is a pillow-back style, which means a pair of them come standard, but this joyous cascade of accessory cushions shown will cost you a bit extra. No matter. If they feel anywhere near as good as they look, it’ll be well worth the extra Euros.

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