B&B Italia's Dock modular sofa system is "a platform for life" says Piero Lissoni
Italian architect Piero Lissoni introduces his Dock modular sofa system for B&B Italia in this movie Dezeen filmed for the Italian furniture brand during Milan design week.
Dock is a sofa system that can be configured with 84 different modular components, which B&B Italia launched with Lissoni at this year's Salone Del Mobile furniture fair in Milan.
![The Dock sofa system was designed for furniture manufacturer B&B Italia by Piero Lissoni, and was launched at Salone del Mobile in Milan](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2019/04/bb-italia-piero-lissoni-dock-sofa-video_dezeen_2364_col_4-852x479.jpg)
A solid wooden platform forms the base of the system, to which cushions, armrests and oval or round tables can be added to build a custom configuration.
Cushions come in a variety of thicknesses, and can be upholstered in two new fabrics designed for the sofa, in addition to B&B Italia's standard range of textiles and leathers.
![The Dock sofa system was designed for furniture manufacturer B&B Italia by Piero Lissoni, and was launched at Salone del Mobile in Milan](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2019/04/bb-italia-piero-lissoni-dock-sofa-video_dezeen_2364_col_13-852x479.jpg)
Lissoni said he designed the system to be flexible, so that people can reconfigure the sofa to fit different spaces when they move home, or their circumstances change.
"Dock is a platform, with many different cushions with many different measurements, with many different thicknesses in materiality, with different small tables," he told Dezeen. "It is a platform for lamps, books and life."
![The Dock sofa system was designed for furniture manufacturer B&B Italia by Piero Lissoni, and was launched at Salone del Mobile in Milan](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2019/04/bb-italia-piero-lissoni-dock-sofa-video_dezeen_2364_col_19-852x479.jpg)
Users can choose to raise the base platform above the ground on legs, or to have it sit directly on the floor for a lower seat.
"It's possible to put the platform completely on the floor without legs, like a tatami bed," Lissoni said.
Lissoni chose to call the sofa Dock because the wooden base reminded him of a jetty – the platforms used to board boats, which are often found in docks.
"Looking at Dock, you can imagine those special wooden bridges at a lake or by the seaside," Lissoni said. "That was the inspiration."
![The Dock sofa system was designed for furniture manufacturer B&B Italia by Piero Lissoni, and was launched at Salone del Mobile in Milan](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2019/04/bb-italia-piero-lissoni-dock-sofa-video_dezeen_2364_col_27-852x527.jpg)
According to Lissoni, designing the sofa system involved balancing innovation with the aesthetic style that B&B Italia is known for.
"I wanted to create something new, without contrasting with B&B's history," he said.
"B&B Italia is the queen of contemporary design," he continued. "They started to be contemporary 50 years ago, and 50 years later they are still contemporary."
![The Dock sofa system was designed for furniture manufacturer B&B Italia by Piero Lissoni, and was launched at Salone del Mobile in Milan](https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2019/04/bb-italia-piero-lissoni-dock-sofa-video_dezeen_yt_0-852x479.jpg)
Lissoni originally trained as an architect, but has become better known for his product design and interiors in recent years. He opened his studio in 1986, a year after graduating from university in Milan.
As well as furniture, the prolific designer has recently designed a range of customisable kitchens and bathrooms as well as the interiors for a series of luxury superyachts.
This movie was shot by Dezeen in Milan for B&B Italia.