One of the most distinctive brands that caught our attention during Milan Design Week was CYPRAEA, a Mauritius-based company that reflects the country’s tropical environment, aiming to become the first ambassador of Mauritian Luxury Style that blends design with nature in perfect harmony. Founded in 1974, the company - the oldest furniture manufacturer in Mauritius – was rebranded in 2016 to Mavenci (“Maven” meaning timber experts, and “Chi” being the Chinese word for energy) by Cedric Lincoln who took the helm two years earlier. In 2017, Cedric started contemplating an export line with the vision of bringing Mauritian Soul to the international stage but to do so he needed to find an open-minded designer who would bring a different perspective to the table. Enter Italian architect - designer Francesco Maria Messina who joined the company in 2018 and together with Cedric created CYPRAEA as a unique and exclusive brand exporting and introducing Mauritius’ ‘best of’ to the rest of the world. Cedric recently talked to Yatzer about the brand’s naturalistic vision, his drive for sustainability, and how Francesco’s architectural sensibility has influenced the current collection. (Answers have been condensed and edited for clarity.)

在米兰设计周期间引起我们注意的最具特色的品牌之一是总部位于毛里求斯的CYPRAEA公司，该公司反映了该国的热带环境，旨在成为毛里求斯豪华风格的第一位大使，将设计与自然完美和谐地融合在一起。该公司成立于1974年，是毛里求斯历史最悠久的家具制造商。2016年，该公司被塞德里克·林肯(Cedric Lincoln)改名为Mavenci(“Maven”的意思是木材专家，而CHI是能源的中文词)，林肯两年前掌舵。2017年，塞德里克开始考虑将毛里求斯灵魂带到国际舞台上的愿景，但要做到这一点，他需要找到一位思想开放的设计师，把不同的视角带到谈判桌上。意大利建筑师

Aqua Bar Cube Silver by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

水酒吧立方体银由建筑师弗朗西斯科玛丽亚梅西纳为Cypraea。

Aqua Bar Cube Silver by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

水酒吧立方体银由建筑师弗朗西斯科玛丽亚梅西纳为Cypraea。

Aqua Bar Cube Silver by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

水酒吧立方体银由建筑师弗朗西斯科玛丽亚梅西纳为Cypraea。

Aqua Shelf Gold by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

建筑师Francesco Maria Messina为Cypraea设计的Aqua Shelf Gold。

What was the inspiration behind Cypraea? We knew that the Ocean, where all life began, had to be the starting point for our journey. That’s where the shell, i.e. Cypraea is found. Mauritius is a small island that is comparable to a beautiful shell, which, despite being small, possesses a rarity and charm that enables it to be cherished and preserved like a treasure. As a brand, Cypraea seeks to convey the preciousness and inimitable uniqueness of the land through innovative and original designs. You’ve said that the brand was born from a desire to connect people to nature. What do you hope will come out of this connection? I feel that nature with its positive energy carries every answer, hence the reason why today you see more and more natural therapies. Cypraea’s desire is to surprise and astound, create feelings through materials and design one-of-a-kind works of art that evoke timeless beauty - like the rarest of treasures found in the ocean. We are moving against the tide, moving from the southern to the northern hemisphere where most of the brands come from to sell their furniture. And while most of them are using [artificial] materials that imitate real materials, we use only real materials. We don’t want our furniture to become obsolete in a few years nor do we want it to be associated with fashion or trends. I would love to know that one day parents will pass on our furniture to their children as people used to do in the past.

古希腊背后的灵感是什么？我们知道，海洋，所有生命的起点，必须是我们的旅程的起点。这就是发现壳的地方，也就是Cypraea。毛里求斯是一个小岛屿，可与美丽的贝壳相提并论，尽管它很小，但它拥有一种珍稀和魅力，使它能够像珍宝一样得到珍惜和保存。作为一个品牌，Cypraea试图通过创新和独创的设计来传达土地的珍贵和独特之处。你说过，这个品牌产生于一种将人与自然联系在一起的欲望。你希望从这种联系中得到什么？我觉得大自然带着它的积极能量带来了所有的答案，所以今天你看到越来越多的自然疗法。Cypraea的愿望是惊喜和惊奇，通过材料创造感情，设计一种能唤起永恒美的艺术作品-就像在海洋中发现的珍宝一样。我们逆流而上，从南半球搬到北半球，大部分品牌都来自北半球，出售家具。当他们中的大多数人使用模仿真实材料的人工材料时，我们只使用真实的材料。我们不希望家具在几年内过时，也不希望家具与时尚或潮流联系在一起。我很想知道，有一天，父母会把我们的家具传给他们的孩子，就像人们过去做的那样。

Aqua Shelf Silver by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

建筑师Francesco Maria Messina为Cypraea设计的Aqua架银。

Aqua Shelf Silver by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

建筑师Francesco Maria Messina为Cypraea设计的Aqua架银。

Aqua Shelf Silver by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

建筑师Francesco Maria Messina为Cypraea设计的Aqua架银。

Ile Maurice low table by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

Ile Maurice低桌由建筑师Francesco Maria Messina为Cypraea。

Ile Maurice low table by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

Ile Maurice低桌由建筑师Francesco Maria Messina为Cypraea。

Did you and Francesco have distinct roles in the creative process? Francesco is an Italian architect who studied in France with star-architect Odile Decq; his background is influenced by architecture, urbanism and the arts. After living here for a while, he found inspiration in the beauty of the island. Together we decided that nature should become the main inspiration for all of Cypraea’s collections. In creating our design identity based on the characteristics of Mauritius, he researched and drew countless sketches until we agreed on the final prototypes that would be produced together. We split our roles between his creativity and my pragmatism as well as my experience in the field of furniture making. This was indeed a very stimulating process as it allowed us both to push his ideas even further and to find technical solutions together until we agreed on the final products that we are now so proud of. In the end, after a number of major difficulties we encountered in the process, we managed to send 19 different pieces for our first exposition in Milan, which is great for a new brand that is not even one year old.

您和Francesco在创意过程中有不同的角色吗？Francesco是一位意大利建筑师，在法国与明星建筑师OdileDecq一起学习；他的背景受建筑、都市主义和艺术的影响。在这里住了一会儿，他发现了岛上美丽的灵感。我们共同决定，自然应该成为Cypraea所有系列的主要灵感。在根据毛里求斯的特点创建我们的设计特性时，他研究并绘制了无数的草图，直到我们同意一起生产的最终原型。我们把我们的角色分为他的创造力和我的实用主义以及我在家具制造领域的经验。这确实是一个非常刺激的过程，因为它使我们能够进一步推动他的想法，并一起寻找技术解决方案，直到我们同意我们现在如此自豪的最终产品。最后，我们在这个过程中遇到了许多重大困难之后，我们成功地发送了19个不同的作品来参加我们在米兰的第一次展会，这对于一个甚至不到一年的新品牌来说是很好的。

Malgrovia Bronze low table by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

建筑师FrancescoMariaMessina为Cypraea提供的Malgrovia青铜低桌子。

Malgrovia Bronze low table by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

建筑师FrancescoMariaMessina为Cypraea提供的Malgrovia青铜低桌子。

Malgrovia Bronze low table by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

建筑师FrancescoMariaMessina为Cypraea提供的Malgrovia青铜低桌子。

Malgrovia Bronze low table by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

建筑师FrancescoMariaMessina为Cypraea提供的Malgrovia青铜低桌子。

Malgrovia Walnut low table by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

马格罗维亚胡桃低桌由建筑师弗朗西斯科玛丽亚梅西纳为Cypraea。

How did you ensure that the natural materials used in the collection were sustainably sourced? We are the 26th smallest country in the world, an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. There is nowhere to escape. We need to change the local mindset by stimulating new strategies and bring a better future by maximising the use of sustainable materials. We are working to ensure that we can use exclusively recyclable materials, as well as timber harvested from sustainably managed forests, or sand from certified official partners. Unfortunately, this process requires some time to be applied, as all certifications are time consuming. But we know that this is the direction we are taking and that this is our main strategy. Tell us a little bit about the process of casting naturally found elements like branches. We decided to cast both the mangrove branches and the bark furniture in bronze, in order to recreate all their textures, details and faults, as a way of bringing them into people’s homes without the guilt of cutting them down. The process is long and time-consuming. We selected the trees that were more suited to our purpose, choosing those with the largest roots which looked more solid and structurally useful to hold the weight of a cabinet or a sideboard. Neither the mangrove nor the fiddle-leaf fig we used were uprooted or removed, as only a few branches were used for the moulds. The casts are entirely handmade and the metal parts are all made of solid bronze, each piece weighing approximately 10kg!

你如何确保收集中使用的天然材料是可持续来源的？我们是世界上第26个最小的国家，印度洋中部的一个岛屿。无处可逃。我们需要通过刺激新的战略来改变当地的心态，并通过最大限度地利用可持续材料来带来更美好的未来。我们正在努力确保我们能够使用完全可回收的材料，以及从可持续管理的森林中采伐的木材，或经认证的官方伙伴提供的沙子。不幸的是，这个过程需要一些时间来应用，因为所有的认证都是耗时的。但我们知道，这是我们正在采取的方向，这是我们的主要战略。告诉我们一些关于自然发现的元素如树枝的铸造过程。我们决定用青铜铸造红树林树枝和树皮家具，以便重新创造它们的所有纹理、细节和缺点，这样就可以把它们带到人们的家里，而不会因为砍掉它们而感到内疚。这一过程既漫长又费时。我们选择的树木更适合我们的目的，选择那些最大的根，看上去更坚实，结构更有用，以承受一个橱柜或餐具柜的重量。我们使用的红树林和小提琴叶无花果都没有被连根拔起或移走，因为只有几根树枝被用来做霉菌。铸件完全是手工制作的，金属零件都是用实心青铜制成的，每件重约10公斤！

Malgrovia Walnut low table by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

马格罗维亚胡桃低桌由建筑师弗朗西斯科玛丽亚梅西纳为Cypraea。

Malgrovia Walnut low table by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

马格罗维亚胡桃低桌由建筑师弗朗西斯科玛丽亚梅西纳为Cypraea。

Naturae bark sideboard - bark Cabinet by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

天然树皮餐具

Naturae bark sideboard by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

由建筑师Francesco Maria Messina为Cypraea设计的自然树皮餐具。

Naturae bark sideboard by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

由建筑师Francesco Maria Messina为Cypraea设计的自然树皮餐具。

The collection is characterised by a bold combination of innovative manufacturing techniques and painstaking, time-consuming hand-craftsmanship. How challenging was this combination? Was it driven by aesthetic criteria and practical considerations or is there also some conceptual motivation behind it? All our creations are inspired by nature and we faced great challenges resolving technical issues to achieve this result. There were many instances when we could have taken shortcuts to save time but this was not our goal. We pushed the design and the realisation of the pieces according to the original concept. For example, the hexagonal wood parts of our Rochester collection required the creation of special tools and all the pieces were composed and assembled by hand, which is very time-consuming. In this case the reason was conceptual, as we wanted the final design to be as strong and intact as the initial sketch. The exclusivity of our furniture also comes from the complexity of the manufacturing process, as sometimes there are more than 10 different materials in one single piece. Our experience in various types of timber helped us find technical solutions faster. The fact that I studied wood engineering in France also helped. What is the intention behind the creation of each piece of the collection in a limited edition of 9 items? We are not industrial and we do not want to become so. Our goal is to be known as a very exclusive furniture brand that only produces limited series. In nature, you will never find two elements that are perfectly identical. The aim of supplying only 9 pieces, each one with its own distinct features, is to give our clients this “natural” exclusivity that no other company does. This strategy isn’t simple because we are standing between two poles that are not always connected: we exhibit in Art Galleries but we also work with furniture dealers.

该系列的特点是大胆结合创新的制造技术和艰苦的，耗时的手工工艺.这个组合有多难？它是由审美标准和实际考虑驱动的，还是有一些概念上的动机？我们所有的创作都受到大自然的启发，我们面临着巨大的挑战，解决技术问题以实现这一结果。在很多情况下，我们本可以采取捷径来节省时间，但这不是我们的目标。我们推动了设计和实现的部分，根据原来的概念。例如，我们罗切斯特系列的六角形木材零件需要创建特殊的工具，所有的零件都是手工组装而成的，这是非常耗时的。在这种情况下，原因是概念性的，因为我们希望最终的设计像最初的草图一样坚固完整。我们家具的排他性也来自于制造过程的复杂性，因为有时一件家具中有超过10种不同的材料。我们在各种木材方面的经验帮助我们更快地找到技术解决方案。我在法国学习木材工程也有帮助。在限量版的9件藏品中，创作每一件藏品的目的是什么？我们不是工业，我们也不想成为工业。我们的目标是成为一个非常独特的家具品牌，只生产有限的系列。在自然界中，你永远找不到两个完全相同的元素。我们只提供9件，每一件都有自己独特的特点，目的是给我们的客户这种“自然”的排他性，这是其他公司所没有的。这一策略并不简单，因为我们站在两极之间，而两极并不总是相连的：我们在艺术画廊展出，但我们也与家具经销商合作。

Odyssey 360 bookshelf by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

奥德赛360书架由建筑师弗朗西斯科玛丽亚梅西纳为Cypraea。

Odyssey V bookshelf by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

建筑师FrancescoMariaMessina为Cypraea设计的“奥德赛五世”书架。

Odyssey V bookshelf by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

建筑师FrancescoMariaMessina为Cypraea设计的“奥德赛五世”书架。

Odyssey H Sideboard by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

奥德赛H餐具建筑师弗朗西斯科玛丽亚梅西纳为Cypraea。

Odyssey H Sideboard by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

奥德赛H餐具建筑师弗朗西斯科玛丽亚梅西纳为Cypraea。

The pieces are photographed in the settings that inspired them, perfectly blending into their “natural habitat”. Is the juxtaposition that will inevitably arise when they are placed in an urban environment, lets say in a New York loft, part of your motivation when designing? By bringing particular fragments of this tropical island into people’s homes, Cypraea aims to stimulate the senses. From the porosity of lava stone and coral sand, to the solidity of wood, the natural materials we have used are high in complexity—a testament to the intricacies of our natural heritage. This is also the reason why the pieces are designed in a very literal way so as to imitate natural forms – or, as in the case of Odyssey , to reflect the surrounding environment, not so much recreating nature, but conversing with it. By placing our pieces in an urban environment, they become the natural ambassadors of our island and its nature. The resulting contrast is meant to surprise and create a similar dialogue between the natural world they represent and the urban environment. What’s next for Cypraea? Mauritius offers an infinite source of inspiration and we intend to keep exploring and reinterpreting its wonders. We want to propose many new models every year, introduce new collections and to continue evolving the already existing ones. Limiting our furniture to only 9 pieces will challenge us to always innovate and be ahead of design trends. In the near future, we will also partner with Mauritian Designers to promote local talents through our international network. This should also help Cypraea offer diversity through its designs.

这些作品是在激发它们灵感的环境中拍摄的，完美地融入了它们的“自然栖息地”。当他们被安置在城市环境中时，比如在纽约的阁楼里，这种并列现象是否不可避免地会出现，这是你在设计时的动机之一吗？通过将这个热带岛屿的特定碎片带到人们的家中，它的目的是刺激人们的感官。从熔岩和珊瑚砂的孔隙，到木材的坚固性，我们所使用的天然材料都是高度复杂的-这证明了我们自然遗产的复杂性。这也是为什么这些作品是以一种非常字面的方式设计的，以便模仿自然的形式-或者，就像奥德赛那样，去反映周围的环境，而不是再现自然，而是与之对话。通过将我们的碎片置于城市环境中，它们成为我们岛屿及其自然的自然大使。由此产生的对比意味着要在它们所代表的自然世界和城市环境之间创造一个类似的对话。下一个是什么？毛里求斯提供了无限的灵感来源，我们打算继续探索和重新解释其奇迹。我们希望每年提出许多新的模式，引进新的收藏，并继续发展已经存在的模式。限制我们的家具只有9件将挑战我们始终创新和领先的设计趋势。在不久的将来，我们还将与毛里求斯的设计师合作，通过我们的国际网络促进本地人才的发展。这也应该有助于Cypraea通过其设计提供多样性。

Pieter Both cabinet by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

彼得都是由建筑师弗朗西斯科·玛丽亚·梅西纳为Cypraea设计的内阁。

Rochester floor lamps by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

建筑师FrancescoMariaMessina为Cypraea设计的罗切斯特落地灯。

Rochester sideboard by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

建筑师FrancescoMariaMessina为Cypraea设计的罗切斯特餐具柜。

Rochester sideboard by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

建筑师FrancescoMariaMessina为Cypraea设计的罗切斯特餐具柜。

Rochester shelf by architect Francesco Maria Messina for Cypraea.

建筑师弗朗西斯科·玛丽亚·梅西纳为CYPRAEA提供的Rochester架。

By placing our pieces in an urban environment, they become the natural ambassadors of our island and its nature. Cedric Lincoln

通过将我们的碎片放在城市环境中，它们成为我们岛上及其自然的自然大使。Cedric林肯。

keywords:Design Furniture Design 

关键词：设计家具设计