The steam-bent, fiber-woven bistro chair has been an archetypal design form since it first emerged at the turn of the 20th century. With the Bistra Collection, Milan-based design studio AMDL CIRCLE, founded by architect Michele De Lucchi, reinterprets this iconic furniture category for the 21st century, refining the classic bistro silhouette into its most essential expression. AMDL Circle distilled the rattan chair to its purest form. At the heart of the design are three steam-bent rattan elements: the backrest, the armrests, and the double fork that forms the legs, rising from the ground like a sapling. Tone-on-tone rattan bindings are woven around the backrest canes, referencing classic bistro chairs. Inspired by rattan’s expressive, organic nature, Bistra’s structure appears to have grown from the ground.