After four years of development, the new urban furniture brand, ARPINO is here. A collaboration between Portuguese industrial designer Carlos Pereira and Angolan architectural studio, Cipro-Group, ARPINO’s OX and Urban Office collections combine art, technology and sustainability in their contemporary design.

Designed and produced between Portugal and Angola, ARPINO launches in South Africa in February, before heading to Milan’s Furniture Fair for the start of Europe’s 2018 Spring/ Summer season. The 16 piece range brings high-design to the public place, adaptable to commercial builds, city streets, parks and shared spaces.

Its culture-neutral style easily assimilates into different geographies and environments, adding a futuristic look to common areas in office blocks, shopping centre squares, parks, campuses and airports. The new Angolan International Airport has, for instance, specified its full range into its urban and public spaces.

“We’ve reimagined urban furniture such as bike racks, bollards and wayfinders for the global village. The pieces would look as at home in Times Square as in Cape Town’s Silo District or Angola’s Viana,” comments Pereira.

Urban design: 2020

Made from stainless steel, ARPINO is designed for the future. “Just as technology and society is changing and evolving, so too is urban design. Traditional furniture is to be replaced by high-quality design pieces that are multi-functional, connected and sustainable, and that give the high street and public space a contemporary aesthetic,” says Pereira.

ARPINO has two ranges: The Urban Office and OX. The “Office” – a solar-powered Wi-Fi and mobile charging station – allows the public to recharge, and connect online, for free.

“In African cities where power is often interrupted and data costs high, the Urban Office is a cost-effective conduit for communities to connect without being reliant on local resources or unreliable telecoms services,” comments Pereira.

The core OX range turns tradition on its head to redesign everyday, urban items. It includes stylised urban lights and wayfinders, pergolas, multimedia kiosks, bollards, bike racks, bins and benches.

Conscious design

Environmentally-aware, ARPINO uses “clean” paints and materials as far as possible so that they can be recycled easily years later. “The product’s sustainability is important to us,” says Pereira. “The world is full of waste and materials must be reused as far as possible, and leave little or no trace.” Wood will also be added to the steel frames in future ranges, adding a natural feature to the collection’s urban function.

“APRINO has been designed for urban spaces around the world, not an exact location or geography. It’s versatile, modular form can be fit to form, however, customising places from housing estates, retail centres, public parks and high streets,” says Pereira.

APRINO can be ordered at www.arpino-design.com. From order to delivery takes approximately one to three months depending on size and shipping times.

 

Newsletter Sign Up