Oplà
Curated by Emiliana Martinelli
Designer: Emiliana Martinelli
Companies: Rossi Pio, Martinelli Luce
Oplà is an urban furniture element born from the contrast between the solidity of marble and the welcoming softness of its seating form, designed to encourage moments of pause and social interaction.
It is not simply a cylindrical, austere and static block, but a friendly presence: its curved shape and concave seat naturally suggest, “Take a moment, sit down and relax.”
Oplà lives within public spaces with freedom and dynamism. Arranged in circles, lines or informal compositions, it creates rhythm, movement and new opportunities for connection, transforming the surrounding environment into a more human and shared space.
L'opera
The Creator
Emiliana Martinelli
Architect
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.