B&B Italia outdoor - Tobi-Ishi Outdoor coffee table

The Tobi-Ishi Outdoor small table echoes the Zen-inspired dining tables of the same name that have become true icons of design. The name itself is a reference to the polished stones (tobi-ishi) used ornamentally in traditional Japanese gardens. The overhang of the top and the vertical trapezoidal bases set at right angles generate an essential sculptural figure that appears to change shape depending on the point of observation.

Edward Barber e Jay Osgerby

Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby founded their East London studio in 1996, after studying architecture together at the Royal College of Art. Their approach is characterised by its emphasis on experimentation and innovation and an exploratory attitude to materiality and colour.

From these areas of focus emerge solutions that reflect the close relationship of their work with industrial processes and new technologies, but also its affinities with fine art. The strength of Barber and Osgerby’s creative partnership has led to collaborations with some of the world’s most progressive companies and a diversity of output that encompasses architecture, interiors, sculpture, product and exhibition design. Amongst many professional accolades, Barber and Osgerby received the Jerwood prize in 2004 and in 2007 were awarded the status of “Royal Designers for Industry”. In 2013 they were appointed to the Order of the British Empire, for services to the design industry.

Examples of their work are held in the permanent collections of major museums around the world, such as the Design Museum in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, to name a few. In 2001 Barber and Osgerby founded Universal to function in parallel with their primary studio. Focused on the fields of architecture, interiors and exhibition design, Universal is now recognised as one of the world’s most innovative creative design consultancies. In 2012 they launched Map, a strategy-based industrial design consultancy, Map.

B&B Italia outdoor

The furnishings of B&B Italia are characterized by exceptional quality and timeless elegance. The brand reflects contemporary culture and the ability to respond to every need. Its uniqueness can be seen in the brilliant collections of furniture and furnishings, where every product is synonymous with research, creativity, innovation and design. All this is transmitted and harmonized in the Outdoor collections, managing to maintain the same standards of high quality, research, and Design for outdoor furniture of great impact.