Malabar Cabinet

Living room cabinet designed by Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano, 1982.

Malabar is one of the projects in which Ettore Sottsass pushes furniture design into an openly architectural dimension. Shelves, closed compartments and supports are arranged in a large, asymmetrical composition, where solid and open sections, horizontal and vertical lines, create a strong spatial rhythm. Plastic laminate, natural wood and metal are brought together in bold contrast, while the supporting elements, each different in colour and shape, give the piece the presence of a small architectural structure rather than a conventional item of furniture. Designed as a strong central presence within the interior, Malabar brings together function, spectacle and domestic scale in a way that is unmistakably Memphis.

Design: 1982
Markings: Original manufacturer's plaque
Materials: Plastic laminate, natural wood, lacquered metal.
Dimensions: W 254 × D 50 × H 230 cm