2011
TANTOOO.
The Fairy Tale Beanbag.
(Series).
Year: 2011
Project Type: Beanbag series
Exhibited at: Milano Design Week
Publications: Swissmiss
Author: Antonio Scarponi
This project renders legible the epistemic actions articulated as DEMA in Epistemic Design.
TANTOOO is a fairytale beanbag conceived as a place for reading, writing, and inhabiting stories. Rather than functioning as a conventional piece of furniture, it is designed as a soft spatial condition that invites rest, imagination, and narrative activity.
TANTOOO® features a double lining. The external lining is made of a soft, high-performance fabric originally developed for high-end outdoor sailing upholstery. This material is washable, waterproof, oil-proof, and resistant to sunlight, while maintaining the tactile quality of thick cotton. The internal lining is made of 100% cotton and contains expanded polystyrene beads as padding.
Manufactured in Italy, TANTOOO® is produced on demand and can be shipped worldwide. The name derives from the Italian word “tanto”, meaning “a lot,” referring to its generous size. Following the first edition, a smaller version was introduced under the name TANTINOOO®.
When laid flat, TANTOOO® functions like a couch, adapting softly to the body and allowing rest or sleep. When lifted, it can be used as an oversized armchair. Its animal-like form includes a raised head element that functions as a soft pillow, reinforcing its role as a place for comfort, pause, and imagination.
Activate - TANTOOO activates the body and the imagination through use.
The object exists fully only when inhabited—read, written on, rested in—transforming furniture into a catalyst for narrative and physical engagement.


















