Plastics Spotting in Portugal

14 August 2019
In May, I visited Lisbon, Portugal for a conference and took the opportunity to do a little plastics spotting whilst I was there. A nice surprise greeted me on the dressing table of my room, Kartell’s Bourgie lamp designed for Kartell by Ferrucio Lavian is such a statement piece.  MoDiP has a silver version in the collection, but I think the clear one is quite fun.
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Also in my room was this classic table and chair set including the Tulip chair originally designed by Eero Saarien in the 1950s.
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Outside, the hotel had a beautiful modern set of lounge seats in a smoking area in a terrace surrounded by high buildings.  The set, titled Stones, was designed by married couple Stefano Giovannoni and Elisa Gargan for the design company, Vondom.  The smooth, naturalistic shapes really complement the straight lines of the terrace.
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The final hour of my visit, before I had to head off to the airport, was spent in the shade of the neighbouring hotel sitting at an anonymous ‘rattan’ bistro set whilst supping a well-deserved glass of delicious, cold, Portuguese beer.
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The imitation rattan was so good, complete with texture along the shaft, that I had to have a closer look to be sure it was plastic.
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The attention to detail on all of these plastics designs were a delight to see. Louise Dennis, Curator of MoDiP