BABY-LONIA

A gigantic construction toy of soft polyurethane, designed at the beginning of Seventies, has become an unusual modular decor. Baby-lonia came to life from the genius of Studio 65, a group of radical designers led by Franco Audrito, following the innovative ideas of pedagogue Francesco De Bartolomeis. Because of its educational content it was used by some of the best Italian schools during the Seventies, since it is light and flexible and so suitable for kids.  In the Eighties Gufram decided to make it into a true interior design item, perfect to enrich the catalogue of a brand already involved in the production of pop and radical objects. It recreates out of scale the classical wooden toys, but it is made of soft polyurethane The polyurethane foam Baby-lonia is composed of is coated with Guflac, the special paint patented by Gufram that makes polyurethane look like leather while increasing its resistance and maintaining its softness. Baby-lonia is to all intents and purposes a domestic sculpture that can be broken up into chairs and tables, but that still remains a toy … for kids as well as adults. As the story goes, it is the only toy that belongs to the collection of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.