Zanotta acquires Carlo Mollino's artistic archive: exclusive licence on 30 projects

At a key moment for international design such as Milan Design Week, Zanotta strengthens its role as a player in the sector with a project that weaves together historical memory and contemporary experimentation. The company - part of Cassina since 2023 - has acquired through public tender a section of the artistic archive of Carlo Mollino, an iconic and visionary figure of the 20th century. The operation, made possible by the support of the law firm Rositani Suckert and the collaboration with the Agenzia del Demanio, represents an example of public-private synergy in the protection and promotion of Italia's design heritage.

Thanks to the exclusive licence granted by the State, Zanotta will be able to realise a selection of 30 projects by Mollino, consolidating its commitment to the reinterpretation of historical works through contemporary technologies and processes. The first concrete result of this acquisition can be seen during the Milan Design Week 2026: the Vertebra table, never before produced industrially. It is an emblematic project that embodies Mollino's vision, in which furniture becomes an extension of the human body. The sinuous, almost skeletal structure recalls anatomies in motion and reflects the dynamic imagination of an author who was also a skier, pilot and aerobatics enthusiast.

In addition to the 30 drawings of industrial design works identified in Carlo Mollino's inheritance and the subject of a public invitation to tender for an exclusive licence for their production and economic exploitation, the professional archive of the Carlo Mollino Fund, kept at the Politecnico di Torino, includes almost 17,000 graphic plates, working drawings and sketches, in addition to about 15,000 photographs, more than 70 handwritten and typewritten files and a large amount of personal and professional correspondence.

At the same time, Zanotta expands its creative universe with a new collection of furniture born from collaborations with some of the most influential protagonists of contemporary design. The entire collection comes to life inside the renovated Zanotta flagship store in Via Durini in Milan, redesigned by Studio Calvi Brambilla. The space, distributed on two levels, is distinguished by a new colour palette and geometric details that pay homage to the historic Quaderna collection. With this articulate presentation, Zanotta confirms its identity as a creative workshop capable of combining past and future, tradition and innovation. A design tale that finds its ideal stage in the Milan Design Week 2026.