Versatile indoor/outdoor bench made from recycled aluminum is inspired by the texture of pasta

I love pasta, and I think most of the general population does, and whoever doesn’t is probably an alien from outer space. Soft chewy carbs that pair perfectly with two of my favorite things on earth – cheese, and wine! I mean, come on, pasta is quite literally perfection. And I guess Norwegian designer Lars Beller Fjetland had the same opinion because pasta is the inspiration for his newest furniture design – the Bello! bench.

Designer: Lars Beller Fjetland for Hydro

Fjetland designed the Bello! bench for the aluminum producer Hydro. And what was his muse for this piece? You got it right – pasta, or to be more precise penne rigate! Informed by the design and form of pasta, the Bello! bench is a versatile piece of furniture that can be used indoors and outdoors. It’s been created from nearly ninety percent recycled and hundred percent recyclable aluminum.

Fjetland was inspired by a piece of penne rigate, which is responsible for the ridged and textured surface of Bello! “The subtle ridges add so much value – you just have to run your fingers across the surface. These tactile discoveries mean so much to me,” said the designer. Aluminum extrusion was used to produce the bench, a process that involves the heating of metal through a hole, that is shaped in the desired form. The process is quite similar to the way pasta shapes are created!

“With this design, I really wanted to emphasize the possibilities of extruded aluminum. It is very much a culmination of everything I appreciate – from the planes, trains, and buses that were designed in the 1930s–1970s, to brutalist architecture and, last but not least, pasta,” said Fjetland. Since aluminum was the material of choice for Bello!, this instantly makes the bench sturdy, strong, and durable and not to mention lightweight. It can be used in places with high traffic such as public transportation hubs. It can be customized and modified to incorporate tables, lamps, or chargers since it does not have an internal support structure. The bench is not available currently, but it will be released at Norway’s annual Milan design week showcase, so keep an eye out for it!