Front and Moroso present furniture that looks like 3D perspective drawings
The foundational principles of 3D drawing provided the cues for Geometriæ, a furniture collection unveiled at Milan design week by Swedish studio Front and Italian brand Moroso.
The pieces are made up of intersecting cuboids and cylinders, upholstered in woven jacquard textiles that replicate the hand-drawn light and shadow effects of 3D perspective drawings.
The two variations include Graphite, which has the same sketchy quality as a pencil drawing, and Acquerello, which mimics the colour transitions of a watercolour painting.
The effect creates confusion, subtly distorting the true sense of perspective.
"Light and shadow are translated directly into the surface," explained Sofia Lagerkvist, who leads Front together with Anna Lindgren.
"This creates a subtle tension between the physical form and how it is perceived," she told Dezeen.
Geometriæ was unveiled in a dedicated exhibition at Colombo's Gallery in Brera, with drawings presented alongside the furniture.
The project was born out of self-initiated research, as is often the case for Front's work. The designers explained this in a recent interview.
The studio had become interested in the concept of geometric purity as a counter to the amorphous patterns and forms of its previous Design by Nature series. This led Front to create pencil studies of different 3D shapes.
"Everyone recognises these drawings," said Lagerkvist. "We thought it would be interesting to bring them into three-dimensional form."
By intersecting the different volumes, they created playful compositions that serve as seats, back and armrests, and table surfaces.
They studied these arrangements in different lighting conditions to find the optimal balance of light and shadow. Then, with Moroso's weavers, they created a flat plan of bespoke textiles to wrap the volumes.
The Graphite pieces recall the rough lines of pencil markings, which adds to the textural quality.
The process became more complex for the Acquerello designs, which exaggerate the way colours change under different conditions. The textiles replicate how watercolour spreads unpredictably as it touches paper.
Neither Lagerkvist nor Lindgren had worked in watercolour before, so it was a process of learning for them both.
"It was such a journey; I'm not sure I will ever touch watercolour again!" joked Lagerkvist.
"You can't fully control it, so the skill is in making all the mistakes look like they were deliberate."
The project marks the continuation of an ongoing collaboration between Front and the Italian furniture manufacturer, led by Patrizia Moroso.
Optical illusions have been a common theme from the start – their first collection was Moment, a series of furniture with confusing folds, launched in 2009.
Front has also contributed a piece to Moroso's new collection, unveiled in the Milan showroom nearby. The high-back Diorama chair was presented alongside other new pieces, including the fluff-edged Cuadra sofa by Patricia Urquiola.
Geometriæ was on show from 19 to 25 April 2026 at Colombo's Gallery, Via Solferino 44, 20121 Milan, Italy. See Dezeen Events Guide for more architecture and design events around the world.
Exhibition photography is by Lorenzo Bacci. All other photography is by Massimo Gardone-Azimut.
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