Mezzadro

Mezzadro is not just a stool but a strong and clear message of freedom in defining the domestic space environment. Designed in 1957, for the exhibition “Forms and colors in today’s house” set up at Villa Olmo in Como, it is one of the best known creations by Achille Castiglioni and his brother Pier Giacomo.
This project is based on the principles of Duchamp’s ready made: using a part of an existing object, confirming its shape but moving the place and the way of use. In fact, the seat is composed of various elements: seat, fixing pin, crossbow and crossbar. The most important detail is the seat of a tractor, designed in the early twentieth century, but also in the fixing system we find a familiar object: the “wing nut”, used in bicycle wheels, which allows you to tighten everything well without the use of screwdrivers or keys. In 1970 Zanotta put it into production, metaphorically calling it Mezzadro and in addition to the famous version with the red seat, it is also available in orange, yellow, white or black. The design of this icon is still current and full of irony, capable of balancing innovation and nostalgia for the past. Zanotta’s Mezzadro is also one of the products displayed in our showroom in Viale Certosa 21 in Milan.