Air Desk
$ 17,460
Gallotti&Radice, the desk that came back fifty years later
In 1971 the in-house Studio G&R drew the President desk. In 2021 the company reissued it as President Junior 50th and President Senior 50th — not as a nostalgia exercise, but because the design had never stopped selling. Very few furniture houses can point to a working desk that has been in the catalogue for half a century, and fewer still make it in glass.
That longevity is the argument for an American executive office. A Gallotti&Radice floor is not a seasonal look to be replaced at the next refresh: the Air desks introduced in 2008 are still the company's best-selling line at home and abroad, and the boardroom tables carry names that have been drawn over two decades. The brand's work already sits in projects such as Mr C Residences in Los Angeles and The Mesa Modern House in Palm Springs. La Mercanti handles the ordering, the shipping and the installation coordination for clients in the United States.
Documents and Catalogs
FAQ
What are the metal parts made of?
The structures pair glass with stainless steel, anodised aluminium and lacquered metal, in polished or satin versions and in white or black embossed lacquer. It is worth choosing deliberately: polished steel reflects the room and suits a formal office, satin absorbs light and photographs better in open-plan floors, and lacquered metal makes the frame recede so the glass does the talking.
Can the company work on a custom project?
Beyond the catalogue, Gallotti&Radice has supplied residential and hospitality projects from Paris to Taipei, which means variations in size and finish are part of its normal work rather than an exception. What can be adapted differs from one family to another, so the honest answer for any specific piece is that the feasibility and the conditions are confirmed in writing by the manufacturer before the order is placed — and La Mercanti asks that question on your behalf.
How to plan a reception desk in glass
The front desk is the one piece every visitor studies while waiting. Five steps to get it right, based on how these counters are actually built.
Measure the sightline first
Decide what a standing visitor should see and what should stay hidden: monitor, printer, bags. That single decision sets the height of the front panel before any finish is discussed.
Choose an opaque front
Reception counters in this collection use painted glass, in a bright or satin version, rather than clear tops. The colour becomes part of the lobby wall, and the surface stays readable under downlights.
Plan the working side
Behind the counter the shelf depth, the cable exit and the position of a drawer unit decide whether the desk stays tidy at four in the afternoon. Draw that side with the person who will sit there.
Match it to the boardroom
The lobby and the meeting room are usually photographed together. Keeping the same metal finish across both is the cheapest way to make an office look designed rather than assembled.
Book the installation window
Large painted panels arrive crated and are set in place in one visit. La Mercanti schedules that visit against the building's freight elevator hours, which in many US offices is the real constraint.