The new sofa by Piero Lissoni, for De Padova balances comfort and elegance
‘Alberese XL’ sofa, by Piero Lissoni, for De Padova is among our Salone del Mobile 2024 highlights and continues the designer’s pursuit of form and functionality
When Piero Lissoni first designed the Alberese family of sofas and seats in 2020, he was aiming for a design ‘born from many reflections and then frozen in its essence’, which would be ‘comfortable and elegant at the same time’. This search for harmony of shapes and perfect functionality has seen the leading Italian designer revisit his creation for De Padova with a new version, the ‘Alberese XL’, presented during Salone del Mobile 2024.
This new collection of modular sofas offers a wide range of configurations and options, allowing its owners to create very personal and truly contemporary living space. ‘Alberese XL is the latest addition to the family as the sofa model takes on new shapes,’ explains Lissoni. ‘There are more ridges and slopes to allow people to create the layout that best fits their tastes.’
Providing space for welcoming inclined armrests and comfortable seats where one can relax, read, and be together, the ‘Alberese XL’ alternates changes in depth, curved elements, and cushions with a defined front and to create a new domestic landscape. Its platform-like base runs throughout, transforming into low marble top coffee tables and linking the various elements together.
The sofa is part of a collection celebrating the 90th anniversary of Boffi De Padova, marking nearly a century of championing Italian manufacturing and tradition, and focusing on the intelligent use of interior space. Also launching is another design by Lissoni, the ‘Novanta’ kitchen. Lissoni himself has spent the past three decades developing international projects in the fields of architecture, landscape, interior, product and graphic design, from his offices in Milan and New York.
De Padova, Via Santa Cecilia, 7
A version of this article appears in the May 2024 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Léa Teuscher is a Sub-Editor at Wallpaper*. A former travel writer and production editor, she joined the magazine over a decade ago, and has been sprucing up copy and attempting to write clever headlines ever since. Having spent her childhood hopping between continents and cultures, she’s a fan of all things travel, art and architecture. She has written three Wallpaper* City Guides on Geneva, Strasbourg and Basel.
-
Nela is London's new stage for open-fire gastronomyA beloved Amsterdam import brings live-fire elegance to The Whiteley’s grand revival
-
How we host: with Our Place founder, Shiza ShahidWelcome, come on in, and take a seat at Wallpaper*s new series 'How we host' where we dissect the art of entertaining. Here, we speak to Our Place founder Shiza Shahid on what makes the perfect dinner party, from sourcing food in to perfecting the guest list, and yes, Michelle Obama is invited
-
Matteo Thun carves a masterful thermal retreat into the Canadian RockiesBasin Glacial Waters, a project two decades in the making, finally surfaces at Lake Louise, blurring the boundaries between architecture and terrain
-
20 emerging designers shine in our ‘Material Alchemists’ filmWallpaper’s ‘Material Alchemists’ exhibition during Milan Design Week 2025 spotlighted 20 emerging designers with a passion for transforming matter – see it now in our short film
-
Casa Sanlorenzo debuts in Venice as a new hub for contemporary artThe luxury yachting leader unveils a stunning new space in a palazzo restored by Piero Lissoni – where art, innovation, and sustainability come together
-
Delve into the Wallpaper* Design Directory 2025, on sale nowIn the July issue of Wallpaper*, find a photographic love letter to Milan Design Week, plus the best new furniture, lighting, kitchens, bathrooms and more
-
Tokyo design studio We+ transforms microalgae into coloursCould microalgae be the sustainable pigment of the future? A Japanese research project investigates
-
Delvis (Un)Limited turns a Brera shopfront into a live-in design installationWhat happens when collectible design becomes part of a live performance? The Theatre of Things, curated by Joseph Grima and Valentina Ciuffi, invited designers to live with their work – and let the public look in
-
Naoto Fukasawa sparks children’s imaginations with play sculpturesThe Japanese designer creates an intuitive series of bold play sculptures, designed to spark children’s desire to play without thinking
-
Inside the Shakti Design Residency, taking Indian craftsmanship to Alcova 2025The new initiative pairs emerging talents with some of India’s most prestigious ateliers, resulting in intricately crafted designs, as seen at Alcova 2025 in Milan
-
Faye Toogood comes up roses at Milan Design Week 2025Japanese ceramics specialist Noritake’s design collection blossoms with a bold floral series by Faye Toogood