Alessandro Zambelli's
design innovation
meets STRAL

Alessandro Zambelli - Italian designer born in Mantua, the city where he lives and works, specialises in Industrial Design and Materials Technology at the Cova Foundation.

In September 2020, he began working with STRAL as Art Director and Designer, paving the way for a significant and massive renewal of the brand's image.

He stopped time with lines that are out of fashion, typical of a style that immediately identified the character of the brand, combining new technologies with the tradition of which Palazzoli - the head company - is an emblem.

His design philosophy has always been fascinated by the use of a wide variety of materials, making him a pioneer in experimenting with combinations that maximise the potential of objects, as well as aesthetics, which in this way is never an end in itself. As he himself says, "design is inextricably linked to function, the object must satisfy a need".

STRAL has for years had the objective of producing outdoor lighting fixtures using only stainless steel, a material from which it has never strayed.
Zambelli, which has chosen to concentrate on new focal points in this brand renewal process, says:

"My vision of design places the present in dialogue with the past and what it can suggest to create the future. Starting from this assumption, we have worked with the intention of reinterpreting the perception of a noble material such as stainless steel. Giving new chromatic and tactile lifeblood, thinking about increasingly heterogeneous installations for STRAL products. Particular attention was paid to historical contexts and all those places where the presence of natural materials requires stylistic consistency, guaranteeing all the peculiarities of strength and durability of stainless steel".

"Inox by Nature, this is the leitmotif that has accompanied us in these intense months of study, experimentation and development. A game of contrasts aimed at a continuous dialogue between formal rationality and expressive freedom. Stainless steel takes on a livery that dialogues with the surrounding environment, fully interacting with Nature and the surrounding spaces. Each object has been designed to take on the colours of the context in which it will be installed, through meticulous research into surface finishes and textures".

"Technically, the design process focused on the production chain, seeking the maximum potential of the latest generation technologies. This is essential to guarantee a high-quality product with a high degree of finish and detail. The value of the lighting component is the result of Palazzoli's experience, which has always paid great attention to the development of performing and innovative lamp bodies. Moreover, thanks to the certified internal laboratory, we can test all the products, guaranteeing a high standard of reliability".