ALDO ROSSI, 1988
Object
Winner of the Pritzker Prize in 1990, Aldo Rossi is one of the most influential and famous Italian architects of the last century. Starting with the famous Tea & Coffee Piazza project proposed by Alessandro Mendini (then artistic director of Alessi), Alessi and Rossi collaborated on the design of four coffee makers that are now part of Italian design history: La Conica, La Cupola, Ottagono, and the 9094 infusion coffee maker.
La Cupola was an enormously successful project, with over 1 million units sold since its launch in 1988, and after nearly forty years, the coffee maker is still in production. This success must have been particularly appreciated by Aldo Rossi, as his intention was to create an object that was poetic, evocative, but above all, useful and accessible to the general public.
Aldo Rossi and Alessi's Project
Starting with the production of Richard Sapper’s 9090 coffee maker in 1979, Alessi opened a new market and established itself as an Italian design company capable of connecting the great designers of its time with a wide audience. The coffee makers of the 1980s and 1990s are emblematic of this direction by the Piedmontese company.
In this context, the collaboration with Aldo Rossi was one of the most fruitful, and La Cupola became a great public and commercial success, a best seller still in production since 1988. Rossi’s design intention, as already mentioned, was to bring tabletop architecture into as many homes as possible, creating totems for the domestic landscape.
In Rossi’s beautiful drawings, it is evident that the coffee maker is inspired by the architecture of the Basilica of San Gaudenzio in Novara. Similarly, Rossi’s coffee maker features a dome that rests elegantly and harmoniously on the body of the moka pot.
La Cupola: Recognitions and Museums
Aldo Rossi’s famous coffee maker has entered Italian popular culture and cemented Alessi’s success as a producer of high-quality kitchen utensils, both in production and design.
La Cupola is part of the permanent collection of 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.
Discover more
Details
Alessi
The original La Conica coffee maker by Aldo Rossi is available on Amazon.it.
Dimensions for the 3-cup version:
- Capacity: 150 ml
- Diameter: 8.6 cm
- Height: 22.4 cm
Materials:
- Body: Aluminum
- Knob and handle: Thermoplastic resin
