Maremosso
Curated by Emiliana Martinelli
Designer: Emiliana Martinelli
Companies: Rossi Pio, Martinelli Luce
A modular marble seating system for urban spaces that explores the contrast between the material’s solidity and the dynamism of its form.
Its wave-like profile breaks the rigidity of urban pathways, introducing movement, fluidity and rhythm to create a pleasant and even romantic place to pause. Carved from a single block of marble, this innovative bench highlights efficiency and respect for the material.
Where one seat ends, the curve of the next one begins, creating a continuous sequence. Thanks to an interlocking cutting system, each block generates multiple seats, optimising production and minimising waste.
It is a tribute to the precious nature of marble and a gesture of respect towards the Apuan Alps. Placed side by side, the benches create an uninterrupted wave, ideal for crossing, dividing or enhancing the boundaries of parks, squares and waterfront areas with originality and awareness.
The work
The Creator
Emiliana Martinelli
Architetto
Biography
Emiliana Martinelli was born in Lucca in 1949. She graduated from the Lucca Art Institute – Ceramics Department, and later obtained a degree in Industrial Design from ISIA Florence, where she subsequently graduated in Architecture.
After completing her studies, she joined the family business, founded in the 1930s by her grandfather Plinio Martinelli and later expanded by her father Elio Martinelli, who in the 1950s shifted the company’s focus towards the design and production of lighting fixtures. Under her father’s guidance—her greatest mentor—she began a long-lasting collaboration, jointly developing the themes and products that have shaped Martinelli Luce’s identity over the years.
Today, Emiliana Martinelli is President of Martinelli Luce and has always combined multiple roles within the company: entrepreneur, designer and art director, overseeing the development of communication and commercial materials. She also curates the company’s exhibition stands for major industry events in Italy and abroad.
Over the years, she has designed numerous lighting products for both residential and technical environments, receiving prestigious international awards. Among the most recent recognitions are the German Design Award in 2012 and 2014 for Colibrì, and the iF Product Design Award for Colibrì in 2011, 2013 and 2015, Circular Pol XXL in 2014, Calabronet in 2015 and 2016, Luna Op in 2015, Calabrone and Condor in 2016, and Mamba in 2019.
Since 1965, Emiliana Martinelli has collaborated with renowned architects including Gae Aulenti and Sergio Asti, while continuing to work with internationally recognised designers such as Studio Orlandini, Marc Sadler, Serge and Robert Cornelissen, Luisa Bocchietto, Paola Navone, Karim Rashid, Alfonso Femia and Gianluca Peluffo, among others.
In recent years, she has also supported emerging designers—including Brian Sironi, Studio Natural, Studio 4P1B, Studio Habits and Simon Schmitz—developing collaborations focused on the creation and engineering of innovative projects that have received numerous awards, including the ADI Design Index, Compasso d’Oro, iF Product Design Award and iF Product Design Gold Award.
A naturally creative person with a passion for craftsmanship, Emiliana Martinelli expresses her creativity also through her personal interests, including graphic design, painting and the creation of lighting installations for special events.