At 3daysofdesign Copenhagen 2025, Nerosicilia and BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group – present 1669, a collection of lava stone tables born from a meeting between experimental design and natural force. A project that celebrates material in its most authentic state, transformed only by heat and time.
BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group, in collaboration with Nerosicilia, presents 1669 at 3daysofdesign Copenhagen: a return to primordial material blending experimental design and nature.
At the 2025 3daysofdesign in Copenhagen—an essential event for Scandinavian design—Nerosicilia unveils 1669, a new project created in collaboration with the international studio BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group. The collection stems from a shared research focus: an interest in natural materials and their expressive potential, explored through an innovative and contemporary lens.
The two entities come together in a process that blends creative experimentation with technical rigor. BIG brings its free-form design vision, capable of uncovering yet unexplored shapes and possibilities within the material. Nerosicilia contributes its expertise in working with lava stone, rooted in a deep connection to the territory and Mount Etna. Together, they shape a series of furnishings that push beyond the boundaries of the material, rediscovering its most authentic essence.
1669 was born from this vision: a collection of tables that interprets volcanic matter in its most authentic and radical form. The name recalls the 1669 eruption, which gave origin to the material used for the collection. Each piece is the result of a creative process in which the stone is transformed solely through its intrinsic physical properties and the power of heat, without the use of glues, metals or binders.
“With BIG, we share a vision: to let the material guide the project. 1669 is born from this—lava stone and the desire to rediscover its most authentic soul, without forcing it, but accompanying it in its natural transformation.”
– Biagio Amarù, founder of Nerosicilia
During the experimental phase, a fascinating phenomenon emerged: when subjected to extreme temperatures, lava stone tends to revert to lava, losing its original geometries and taking on new, fluid, unpredictable shapes. This transformation inspired the design of 1669: a circular top fused directly onto a hollow cylinder that serves as a pedestal.
The cylinder is internally lightened through core drilling and the extracted material becomes the support on which the top is fused. During firing, the stone softens, following the underlying shape and giving life to a living, organic surface that seems to emerge directly from the heart of the volcano.
Discover the complete 1669 collection by BIG x Nerosicilia.
