Virtual Salone Milano 2020: SANCAL, exciting furniture for passionate spirits

Love, humour, fun, colours are the secret ingredients that the Spanish SANCAL uses to stir emotions and provide furniture with a great, unique personality. Founded in the early nineteen-seventies by Santiago Castaño Carpena, the family-owned SANCAL has gained a reputation on the global design scene for its exciting furniture collections which avoids conventionalism and the limitations of the perfectly-matched environments; a contemporary style, timeless and eclectic with which they evolve.

SANCAL environment | Levitt House | BLACK Book

Over the years, they have stayed true to their Spanish identity and their passionate, open, joyful yet humble approach is captured in every design.

SANCAL environment | Mac House | BLACK Book

This personal design culture has been enriched by the continual collaboration with designers from all around the world. Their personalities impregnate each and every product bringing originality and style. The roster of collaborations is long and include big names of the national and international design scene: Toyo Ito, Karim Rashid, Sebastian Herkner, Ionna Vautrin, Estudi{H}ac, Note, MUT, Yonoh, Luca Nichetto, PerezOchando, Sylvain Willenz, Antoine Lesur and Marc Venot, just to name a few.

The MUSEO Collection

The theme of MUSEO, the new collection of SANCAL for 2020, is a clear nod to the world of Art since it presents the products as if they were museum pieces. Nevertheless, at SANCAL they made it clear from the beginning that they do not intend to elevate their designs to an artistic rank as “design is not ART, but it can be artistic”, to put it in their words.

MUSEO is nothing more than a reflection exercise on the creative process and, although it does not aim at cataloguing SANCAL’s new designs as works of art, it does highlight the close relationship between art and design. Both disciplines start from a creative process yet design goes a little bit further solving current challenges and reinventing the future with large doses of creativity.

Just like in a museum, the MUSEO Collection 2020 is made up of a permanent collection of ten new designs which will be complemented by temporary exhibitions focused on specific themes, such as the controversial issue of women in art – “WomenXWomen” – or the relationship between the matter and the void – “Void Matters”. New furniture pieces range from a modular sofa to designs as quirky as a vertical alcove. Let’s have a look…

CLICK sofa. Estudio SANCAL

Just a few clicks and you’ll get your sofa perfectly mounted, as the name itself suggests. Starting from a simple mechanism, similar to those used in the automotive sector, the studio shaped CLICK, a very versatile sectional seating system.

MUSEO Collection | CLICK seating system | Estudio SANCAL | SANCAL

Comfortable and robust to resist an intense use at home or in public spaces, CLICK is highly focused on minimizing the environmental impact of its transportation. It is, as a matter of fact, SANCAL’s first “flat-pack” sofa; that is, it comes in a packaging of reduced dimensions and it’s easy assembling, allowing a quick set-up process.

MUSEO Collection | CLICK seating system | Estudio SANCAL | SANCAL

CLICK is so versatile that you can create your own composition and add playful armrests and side tables to improve its functionality. It can also be configured into armchairs and small modules for charming bars and cafes.

ROLL chair. MUT Design

Ironic and original, the ROLL stackable chair embodies the passion of MUT for the inner charm of simple things and their love for the curved shapes. Inspired to fitness equipment, ROLL avoids conventional designs reducing the structure to two essential elements: steel tubes and two cylindrical pads for back and seat.

MUSEO Collection | ROLL chair| MUT Design | SANCAL

The atypical silhouette – completely deviated from its archetype – and the visual play of the two cylinders provide this everyday item with artistic features much more pronounced when the chairs are stacked together to form almost a sculptural ensemble. In this way, ROLL combines balance, beauty and functionality.

MUSEO Collection | ROLL chairs | MUT Design | SANCAL

The short list of materials used does not limit the possibilities for personalization, as their cushions can be upholstered in any of SANCAL’s fabrics and twelve lacquers colours available for the metal structure.

DIWAN sofa. PerezOchando

Inspired by the long, cushioned seat placed along the walls in Middle-Eastern council chambers, the DIWAN sofa pays homage to the Islamic past of Valencia, the town where the PerezOchando design studio is located.

MUSEO Collection | DIWAN sofa | PerezOchando | SANCAL

Claudia and Pedro, in their first collaboration with the firm, have given to ancient diwan seats a contemporary twist by minimizing the sinuous curves of the seats and backs while providing the design with an air of lightness and apparent simplicity.

MUSEO Collection | DIWAN sofa | PerezOchando | SANCAL

Small in size, the DIWAN sofa is complemented by a chaise longue, a modular bench and an original armchair. Available in natural or stained wood, it comes upholstered in matching or contrasting fabrics.

TOTEM stool. Sylvain Willenz

A debut design of the Belgian industrial designer Sylvain Willenz for the Spanish brand, TOTEM is a sophisticated bar stool aimed at turning into an iconic and sought-after piece of décor.

MUSEO Collection | TOTEM stool | Sylvain Willenz | SANCAL

Its sculptural silhouette while evoking ancient sacral emblems reveals the designer’s talent for exploring new design languages that go beyond function to add artistic values to furniture.

MUSEO Collection | TOTEM stool | Sylvain Willenz | SANCAL

The apparently slender and delicate structure is, in fact, strong and sturdy. Its wide base seems to stabilize a fragile balance of straight lines and a circle. The central ring, in addition to balancing the structure, treasures all the character and serves as footrest. Even reduced to the essentials, the seat enhances the comfort and volumes of this almost two-dimensional piece.

LAPSO wall alcove. Antoine Lesur & Marc Venot

Recognized in 2014 with an Hermés Award, the original wall alcove by Lesur & Vernot has been relaunched by SANCAL with new improved features and a new name: LAPSO.

MUSEO Collection | LAPSO vertical alcove | Antoine Lesur & Marc Venot | SANCAL

Ideal for public spaces, the LAPSO vertical alcove enables people to lean back for breaks and moments of privacy. The structure is supported on a steel mesh, lined with felt and with an outer upholstered shell. Rather than an extended siesta, the concept focuses on the micro break in bustling environments, during a trip or in workplaces.

MUSEO Collection | LAPSO vertical alcove | Antoine Lesur & Marc Venot | SANCAL

Privacy and disconnection are also improved by the acoustic features of the outer hood’s sound-absorbing materials which helps to dampen a room’s general ambient noise. Comfort is ensured by the light and ergonomic angle of its backrest.

MUSEO Collection | LAPSO vertical alcove | Antoine Lesur & Marc Venot | SANCAL

The wide range of textiles with acoustic properties for the hood can be freely combined with 5 mesh colours, although the firm recommends the combinations curated by the designers.

Coming soon…

The MUSEO Collection is completed with the ELLE armchair by Rafa García and four new pieces by Note Design Studio: the CORE and REMNANT seats, the VESTIGES tables and the DIVIDUALS pouffes. All of them will be revealed over the coming months. Stay tuned!

For more information: www.sancal.com