.png)
.jpg)
.png)
.jpg)
Chair with steel frame. Seat with tubular steel structure covered with a shaped, high‑resistance, two‑tone knitted fabric, or seat in integral polyurethane.
Weight: 3.4 kg.
Ultralight
Francesco Rota, 2026
Ultralight stems from the desire to explore a new expression of metal, a material that has always represented the design DNA of Desalto. Francesco Rota’s project tackles a precise conceptual challenge: transforming a material typically perceived as structurally solid and visually “heavy” into an object of extreme lightness. The result is a chair that combines technical rigour, formal essentiality and surprising physical lightness. Weighing only 3.4 kg, Ultralight demonstrates how metal can become a tool of synthesis, capable of generating a minimal, precise and at the same time incredibly lightweight structure. A balance between engineering and design that translates Desalto’s manufacturing expertise into an everyday object.
.png)
The seat of Ultralight is designed as a technical element that is at the same time strongly identity‑defining. Its structure consists of a tubular steel frame onto which a shaped, two‑tone knitted fabric is applied, completely enveloping the frame. This material, developed to ensure high resistance and long‑term stability, combines structural strength with comfort, naturally adapting to the shape of the seat. The workmanship of the knit—precise and technologically advanced—introduces an innovative material language into the world of metal seating, highlighting Desalto’s pursuit of original technical solutions. As an alternative, Ultralight is available with an integral polyurethane seat, which preserves the formal purity of the project while offering a continuous, compact and durable surface.
.png)
The slender proportions of the structure, the precision of the joints and the clarity of the lines generate a presence that is discreet yet distinctive. The project works on the concept of subtraction, eliminating every superfluous element to allow the structural essence of the chair to emerge. The result is an object that appears visually light, almost graphic within the space, where every detail follows a precise constructive logic. Lightness is not only a technical feature but becomes a design value, capable of defining the character of the chair and expressing Desalto’s ongoing exploration of the balance between technology, material and form.
0/0
0/0
Product information
Information
.png)
Dimensions
Ultralight
Width 41 cm
Depth 45 cm
Height 82 cm
Seat Height 47 cm
Width 41 cm
Depth 45 cm
Height 82 cm
Seat Height 47 cm
Finishing Sedile
F39 NERO
F71 RUGGINE
_G8132.jpg)
F73 MARRONE BUNGEE
F38 TORTORA
_G9586.jpg)
F77 GRAFITE
F65 SABBIA
F81 VIOLA MELANZANA
F82 VERDE BOSCO
F34 GRIGIO CHIARO
Finishing Struttura
.jpg)
B12 WHITE - MATT
B34 LIGHT GREY - MATT
B82 GREY - MATT
B42 GRAFITE - MATT
B46 BLACK - MATT
B10 BECCO D'OCA ORANGE - MATT
B56 RUGGINE - MATT
B11 DARK RED - MATT
B18 MELANZANA PURPLE - MATT
B93 OLTREMARE BLUE - MATT
.jpg)
B94 COBALTO BLUE - MATT
B03 MARE GREEN - MATT
B02 PRATO GREEN - MATT
B04 BOSCO GREEN - MATT
B24 BROWN - MATT
B22 BUNGEE BROWN - MATT
.jpg)
B95 OCEANO BLUE - MATT
B41 TORTORA - MATT
B13 SABBIA - MATT
B01 FERROMICACEO
K34 LIGHT GREY - GLOSSY
K82 GREY - GLOSSY
K42 GRAFITE - GLOSSY
K46 BLACK - GLOSSY
K10 BECCO D'OCA ORANGE - GLOSSY
K56 RUGGINE - GLOSSY
K11 DARK RED - GLOSSY
K18 MELANZANA PURPLE - GLOSSY
K93 OLTREMARE BLUE - GLOSSY
K94 COBALTO BLUE - GLOSSY
K54 OCEANO BLUE - GLOSSY
K03 MARE GREEN - GLOSSY
K02 PRATO GREEN - GLOSSY
K04 BOSCO GREEN - GLOSSY
K24 BROWN - GLOSSY
K22 BUNGEE BROWN - GLOSSY
K41 TORTORA - GLOSSY
K12 WHITE - GLOSSY
.png)
K13 SABBIA - GLOSSY
Downloads
Designer
Francesco Rota, interior and product designer, was born in 1966 in Milan, where he currently lives and works. After graduating in industrial design from the Art Center College of Design in La Tour de Peilz, Switzerland, he opened his studio in 1998, focusing on design in various sectors including products, furnishings, lighting, showrooms, offices, private homes, and exhibitions. He has collaborated internationally with companies such as Alchemy, Arketipo, Bals Tokyo, Barilla, Driade, Fiat, Frag, John Richmond, Knoll International, KME Italy, Lapalma, Lema, Living Divani, L'Oreal Paris, Malo, Martini & Rossi, Mercedes Benz, Moroso, Paola Lenti, Oluce, Takano Co. Ltd, and Versus.
He has received three Honorable Mentions for the Compasso d'Oro for the products 'Add,' 'Linea,' and 'Island,' which are part of the Compasso d'Oro ADI Historical Collection, as well as three Special Mentions for the German Design Award (awarded by the German Design Council) for the products 'Daydream' (2014) and 'Kanji' (2016) produced by Paola Lenti and 'Add' (2016) designed for Lapalma. He was awarded a German Design Award Winner for 'Move' by Paola Lenti in 2016 and received three Red Dot Awards for the products 'Add,' 'Kanji,' and 'Move' in 2016, as well as two Good Design Awards for the products 'Kanji' and 'Move' in 2016. He received the Interior Design Best of the Year Awards 2014 for the product 'Cloud' and the MIAW, Muuuz International Design Award, in 2013 for the product 'Frame On' and in 2014 for the product 'Smile.' In 2013, he was a finalist for the Wallpaper Judges' Award in the 'Designer of the Year' category.
His work has been exhibited in shows and events organized by Italian and international institutions including the St. Etienne Biennale du Design, Hannover Messe, Triennale di Milano, Reggia di Venaria Reale in Turin, Moss in New York, Material Connection in New York, Biennale di Architettura in Venice, Royal Academy of Arts in London, The Merchandise Mart in Chicago, Miami Design District, Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, and Bellerive Museum in Zurich. Since May 2004, he has been a professor at the European Institute of Design in the Master Research Study Program in Industrial Design, in collaboration with Magis. Since 2023, he has been the art director of Desalto.
.png)
.jpg)
.png)
