The birth and growth of a project 
At Edra, we have our own pace and our own approach. When we start a new project, we don’t know exactly what will come of that. It’s an unpredictability that always opens up new paths, because it always opens up new avenues and challenges us to create the ‘beautiful and well-made’ products that make up our collection. Often, when they come to the company, the authors don’t have a single drawing in their hands. But they have an idea in their heads. Sometimes, it takes years to launch their story onto the market. And many voices step in, every time. In the process, the project comes to life and adds substance to the ideas, through dialogue, experimentation and an exchange of views that translate into an indefinite number of prototypes as we aim for perfection.

The skeleton.

The dialogue between innovation and manual skills brings to life such high-quality structures that no industrial process could possibly achieve. That is how the skeletons of cutting-edge products that have turned into great classics were born. A patent we are proud of is that of the Smart Cushion. There are, hidden in the cushion, some ‘special’ articulated joints that can be moved around to give it the shape you like, easily, effortlessly: while an aircraft-derived component can turn it by 180 degrees. With the flick of a hand, the cushion can be straightened up, pushed down or adjusted to the seat until it fits perfectly. Whether it is a backrest or an armrest, with these little masterpieces of engineering, anyone can find their ideal position. It is this new way of designing that underpins the Absolu, Essential, Grande Soffice and Standard sofas, with the recent addition of the Chiara armchair and the Stand By Me bed.
The frame of the Flap sofa, consisting of 128 steel parts and 16 special hinges hidden in the padding, which is split into 184 multi-density polyurethane sections. All this, in a fourteen-centimetre section. The skeleton lets the sofa change: the curving outline of the top accommodates nine tilting parts that can be set at six different angles. Each can be used as a backrest, an armrest, a headrest, a seat or a footrest. 

The skeleton of the Getsuen armchair is a sturdy hand-moulded steel frame. The feet are the result of the efforts of a team of engineers specialising in the building of bridges. The petals of the Rose Chair are padded by hand, one by one, and layered over a moulded metal frame with little sections of bent wood. The legs are solid aluminium. Last but not least, the Tatlin, with its special hand-moulded steel spiral frame, a real stroke of genius. 

The soul.

The soft soul of many of our products is made of Gellyfoam®, a material inspired by the biomedical industry. It is a special foam that combines softness with support, hugging the body in the most pleasurable cuddle. The patent took years of testing to reach this level of excellence. Often mixed with polyurethane foam, cotton wool or down, the Gellyfoam® enwraps strong and flexible structures.

The skin.

The study of the upholstery is an integral part of the project and the materials with which it is made are not a simple accessory element. They are the skin. They are a tailor-made dress, an outerwear which is designed, sized and sewn onto the product. It is available in leathers and textiles that have been exclusively made to meet specific performance and quality standards. The visual and tactile feel combines with the frame of every creation, while the aesthetic qualities convey the identity of the product.

For instance, the texture of the upholstery in On The Rocks, chosen in a dark background, recalls the surface of a rock or a cliff, partly covered with moss and lichens. At the same time, the yarn that shows, cut in the weft, creates a loose texture that makes it more durable. With its colours, deliberately whittled down to black and white, the upholstery on the seat of the Pack looks like the layers of the arctic ice pack, the daily and nightly sight of it. With the double frame and the sizeable section, the thick, chunky upholstery of the Grande Soffice rests on the soft body of the sofa, for a perfect combination between the depth of the seat, the upholstery and the Smart Cushion technology.

From being a cover, the skin can sometimes turn into a structural polycarbonate, metal or acrylic element. In the Vermelha, it envelopes the skeleton in 500 metres of a special rope. In the Gina chair and in the Margherita armchair, a tangle of hand-‘embroidered’ polycarbonate creates a protective nest that plays with light, suffused with ever-changing shades and glints.

Leonardo Volpi Born in 1961, after studying art, he opened his own design firm. He started various collaborations, where he was responsible for design, prototyping, photo shoots and exhibition plans. An important background where he grew professionally, taking a realistic approach to design, which a few years ago led him to be appointed Edra’s Prototype Development and Design Manager.