ALDO ROSSI, 1984
Object
La Conica is a stovetop espresso maker designed in 1984 by Italian architect Aldo Rossi, considered the greatest Italian architect of the last century and winner of the Pritzker Prize in 1990.
La Conica is part of a series of four coffee makers designed by Aldo Rossi during the 1980s and 1990s—the other successful projects being La Cupola, Ottagono (now a collector’s item as it is no longer in production), and the 9094 infusion coffee maker.
This moka pot by Aldo Rossi for Alessi is one of those objects that all design enthusiasts would love to have. La Conica has a simple and essential character, but its elegant shapes are quite eloquent. It is an object that integrates pure geometric forms (the cone and the cylinder) with great functionality, easy to use, clean, and store. It is often defined as tabletop architecture.
Aldo Rossi's Project
The story of these coffee makers begins in the late 1970s when Alessandro Mendini was the artistic director of Alessi. Mendini decided to launch the famous Tea & Coffee Piazza program, an experimental initiative involving eleven of the most influential contemporary architects to design artistic multiples exploring the language of tea and coffee sets.
The resulting collection is historic, and we wouldn’t have enough time here to talk about it. What’s interesting, however, is that two of the architects involved continued to collaborate with Alessi, creating some of the most important mass-produced kettles and coffee makers in the entire collection: Michael Graves and Aldo Rossi.
Both approached the project of designing coffee makers and household objects in a manner typical of architects, by using spatiality and applying theories used to organize buildings and urban systems to much smaller-scale objects. In this sense, many believe that the aesthetic of La Conica encapsulates the entire poetics of the great Italian architect.
Speaking of small sized architecture, it is well-known that for Aldo Rossi, drawing was a very important part of the design process. Here are some of the famous drawings for La Conica.
An object for the kitchen that is also a miniature tower, it seems to evoke the Teatro del Mondo, which Rossi had designed for the Biennale a few years earlier. According to Aldo Rossi’s words (which can be read on the Aldo Rossi Foundation website):
This conical shape refers to the cover of the cylindrical part of the object, which is the actual container. The cone, as is well known, is the name of a simple, solid geometric figure, with a round pyramidal shape, produced by the revolution of a right-angled triangle around the side of the right angle. This type of cone, used by us, is called a right cone because it has a perpendicular angle to the base. This explanation of the shape is part of the design of the coffee maker, just as in the dome model, all the geometric, static, and historical attributes of the dome play a predominant part.
La Conica in Museums
This famous coffee maker is not only a symbol of how architecture and poetry become part of the home in the form of objects used in everyday rituals. La Conica is also a cult object among design enthusiasts and is part of the collections of the world’s most prestigious museums, such as the Triennale di Milano.
Aldo Rossi
Aldo Rossi, an Italian architect and designer who won the Pritzker Prize, distinguished himself with his minimalist and symbolic approach to his work. Known for the Theory of the Analogous City, he explored the intersection of memory, history, and urban space. His design projects, such as the La Conica and La Cupola coffee makers for Alessi, showcase a fusion of functionality and form, establishing him as a key figure in contemporary design.
Alessi
Founded in Italy in 1921, Alessi is a leading manufacturer in the design of kitchen utensils and household items. Known for collaborations with world-renowned designers like Jasper Morrison and Richard Sapper, Alessi combines functionality, innovation, and unique aesthetics, transforming everyday objects into works of art. Its creations are exhibited in design museums worldwide.
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Details
Alessi
The original La Conica by Aldo Rossi for Alessi is available on Farfetch.com for €235 (price at the time of writing).
Dimensions of the La Conica coffee maker:
- Capacity: 150 ml
- Diameter: 7.5 cm
- Height: 23.5 cm
La Conica is made from the following materials:
- Body: 18/10 stainless steel
- Base: Copper
