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Virgil Abloh + Cassina Reimagine Modular Design for the Home

01.13.23 | By
Virgil Abloh + Cassina Reimagine Modular Design for the Home

Even after his premature passing, designer, architect, and visionary Virgil Abloh continues to make his mark on the design world, this time in collaboration with Italian furniture design brand Cassina. In reimagining the concept of modularity for both public and domestic spaces, Abloh created and completed before his passing, Modular Imagination, a series composed of two matte-black building blocks in two sizes that can be combined to “create, adapt, and rebuild space.”

black modular block in living room

Photo: Valentina Sommariva

While the blocks seem rigid, they are surprisingly soft, made with an internal core of recycled wood and upholstered in polyurethane (a percentage of the material is derived from biological sources). The blocks are coated with painted elastomer and adorned with anti-fingerprint rubber feet with steel threaded inserts. The blocks can be used as a seat, pouf, bench, table, or supportive surface. Larger configurations can be made as the contrasting cylindrical feet easily slot into the connecting node of the unit below. The bold “Cassina-Abloh” round logos in bas-relief give a nod to Abloh’s graphic design practice.

Virgil Abloh's Modular Imagination in living room

Photo: Valentina Sommariva

black modular blocks at the end of orange staircase

Photo: Luciano Romano

Cassina-Abloh logo in orange installation

Photo: Luciano Romano

Luca Fuso, CEO of Cassina

Luca Fuso, CEO of Cassina \\\ Photo: Valentina Sommariva

Patricia Urquiola, Art Director

Patricia Urquiola, Art Director at Cassina \\\ Photo: Valentina Sommariva

Cassina LAB also considered the collection’s end of life cycle and marked a dash line under the feet to indicate where the polyurethane upholstery can be cut away from the wooden core in order to properly recycle the appropriate components.

long matte black modular furniture block

Photo: Luca Merli

long matte black modular furniture block

Photo: Luca Merli

square matte black modular furniture block

Photo: Luca Merli

square matte black modular furniture block

Photo: Luca Merli

For more information on Modular Imagination, visit cassina.com.

As the Senior Contributing Editor, Vy Yang is obsessed with discovering ways to live well + with intention through design. She's probably sharing what she finds over on Instagram stories. You can also find her at vytranyang.com.