Quartz - an insight into our most extravagant signature piece

When you step into the Hilton in Dubai, they are immediately visible - these crazy bubbles in the Atrium, inviting busy passers-by to cozy down and relax for an instant. But who thought them up, and how did we develop the product?

Our founder Davide had always been fascinated by geometric shapes. Building a bubble out of regular segments was one of his earliest plans, right out of university. He made drawings, made construction outlines, but they stayed in his drawer, until - he met the ultra-dynamic designer-duo Ctrl-Zak. Conceptual design is their speciality - and inspired by the conversations with them, Davide pulled the drawings of Quartz out of the dark. They agreed immediately that this was not going to be something ordinary - inspired by Crystals and throwing in designs by Leonardo da Vinci for good measure, this piece would be one of a kind. Each one made would be hand cut and different, just like the Quartz crystals in nature. 

1. The frame is made out of wood and the aim, though the most careful assembly and refinement, is to make it so that it is nearly seamless.

2. Then, the individual foam parts are cut by hand. This is why every chair is unique. All is hand cut and never the same - though the cutter does follow a rough pattern, so the piece stands in a solid way.

3. The next step is the most complex. A textile cover has to be sewn for all the individual pieces. They all have zippers, to make them washable, and they all have to fit into the frame in such a way that they are in their correct place and that the zipper is covered by the frame wherever possible.

Making Quartz is an adventure every time we do it, challenging, but when they stand there ready to ship out, every one of us, from the carpenter to the upholsterer to the seamstress, is proud of the result.