achille castiglioni + writing instruments by gianfranco cavaglià
the writing instruments designed in 2001 by the architects Achille Castiglioni and Gianfranco Cavaglià are brought to life 20 years later under the name CENTO3. designed, produced and distributed by a young Italian design studio AMthe 3d printed Instruments include a mechanical pencila multifunctional art penciland a fountain pen in pocket version. the wooden prototypes of this unpublished project were discovered by his sons, giovanna and carlo castiglioniin his fatherThe Milan studio. hidden behind a large angular mirror in the headquarters of the fondazione achille castiglioni, the prototypes were the last of his careerco-signed with the architect gianfranco cavaglià.
created by expert cabinetmaker pierluigi gianda, the prototypes replicate the trilobed arched shape studied by castiglioni and cavaglià which, thanks to its distinctive ergonomics, represents the true alliance between mind, hand and object, as well as having the particularity of not rolling on a table. ‘this aspect seemed to us of some interest’, Cavaglia remembers.
all images by EGO.M
A PROJECT CARRIED OUT 20 YEARS LATER BY EGO.M
the project it remained in a drawer for many years, as it had not yet found the indispensable and precise interpretation of the original design goals, as well as the necessary investments for the complex production of such an unusual chosen form. It was not until 2020when Achilles Castiglioni Foundation Y gianfranco cavaglia met AM, that the two parties decided to entrust the development, engineering and production of the project to the young Italian design studio. respectfully aware of their responsibility, having determined the fundamentals of the project, its ethos and its original cavaglià intentions during a year of collaborative work, EGO.M focused on the realization of the instruments. Among the wooden prototypes, three were selected for production: a mechanical pencil, a multifunctional artistic pencil and a fountain pen in a pocket version. the mechanical pencil represents technical drawing, the multifunctional artistic pencil is practical, handy and suitable for many uses, and the fountain pen has been deliberately chosen in a pocket version to be more contemporary, unconventional and closer to younger generations .
CENTO3 (103, one hundred3) was first revealed on the date of achille castiglioni’s 103rd birthday: February 16, 2021. castiglioni said that ‘even naming objects is an act of design’, and as a result, the title of this collection was also the subject of study and research. number 3 represents: the designed objects and their respective typologies of writing; production technology (3D printing); the project partners – ego.m, fondazione achille castiglioni, gianfranco cavaglià; the generations involved; the fingers that hold the writing instrument; the arches of the trefoil shape.
CENTO3 PRODUCTION: 3D printing and graphene
Fused deposition modeling, a three-dimensional (3D) printing technique, was selected for production because of the versatility it allows you to produce that unique shape. EGO.M focused its research on finding an innovative material for the world of writing that could also interpret the fundamentals of the project. Graphene was chosen for its natural characteristics and finish, its mechanical properties and its color. graphene is composed of a monatomic layer of carbon and graphite, formed by a layer of carbon, so it seemed attractive to finalize the concept of writing using writing itself as the main material: a pencil made of pencil or, better, of graphene.
the three writing instruments of the CENTO3 collection
mechanical pencil represents technical drawing
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