Francesco Rota, the art director who took Lapalma west

When Lapalma handed Francesco Rota its art direction in 2013, the brief was explicit: new products, and a stronger name in the markets that forgive nothing — Europe, North America, the Far East. America already knew him. His work had been shown at Moss and at Material ConneXion in New York and at The Merchandise Mart in Chicago, and Knoll International appears on his list of collaborations. Born in Milan in 1966, he has run his studio since 1998 across products, interiors and showrooms, shaping forms American clients tend to call quiet — until they notice everyone wants to sit there.

The clearest proof of that westward push is ADD, Lapalma’s modular seating system, Red Dot 2016 and Compasso d’Oro honorable mention: La Mercanti configures it from the official price lists for executive floors and lounges, with the rest of Rota’s direction one request away.