Archizoom Associati Sofas
For eight years, Italian architecture and design studio Archizoom Associati challenged modernism and aligned itself with what we now call Radical Design, an avant-garde art movement established largely in Florence that produced exuberant conceptual furnishings and objects that were neither practical nor very commercial. Through iconic works like the Sanremo floor lamp and the Mies lounge chair, Archizoom and other proponents of the movement protested functionalism and explored form, color and material in a way that countered the existing social order.
Founded in 1966 by University of Florence students Andrea Branzi, Gilberto Corretti, Massimo Morozzi and Paolo Deganello, Archizoom questioned mass consumerism and the validity of rapid postwar modernization in their native country. In their architecture initiatives, interiors, installations, furniture and more, Archizoom's members were pioneers of postmodernism — future Memphis Group cofounder Ettore Sottsass was also part of the Radical Design movement — and alongside likeminded collectives such as Superstudio, Ziggurat and UFO, Archizoom drew on Pop art, Minimalism and Arte Povera to expand upon the expressive potential of design. Branzi and his peers were also deeply influenced by the visionary work of London architecture collective Archigram — so much so that the group’s name is inclusive of Zoom, which is the name of a zine published by the British collective.
In Archizoom’s No-Stop City — an unbuilt architecture project — the urban area is stripped bare, a featureless monochromatic expanse that sees built structures meeting nothing more than the basic needs of human existence. The group’s Mies lounge chair — a tribute to early modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe — was developed for Poltronova and hardly resembles a chair at all. It is not until one sits down that the detached bench seat combines with the backrest and becomes a full seat. The human body bonds the pieces together to make a chair that is surprisingly functional — and even compact.
The Radical Design movement is experiencing something of a renaissance, and Archizoom Associati’s works featured prominently in 2020’s “Radical: Italian Design 1965-1985” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The collective’s designs were given a global stage in the classic 1972 exhibition “Italy : The New Domestic Landscape” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, but most of the groups associated with Radical Design dissolved by the mid-1970s. The Mies lounge chair is held in MoMA’s permanent collection.
Find vintage Archizoom Associati seating, lighting and tables on 1stDibs.
1970s Post-Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
Faux Leather, Foam
1960s Italian Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
Foam, PVC
Mid-20th Century French Archizoom Associati Sofas
Fabric, Foam
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Archizoom Associati Sofas
Foam, Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Archizoom Associati Sofas
Fabric
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
Faux Leather, PVC
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Archizoom Associati Sofas
Fiberglass
Mid-20th Century Italian Archizoom Associati Sofas
Fiberglass
1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
Wool, Walnut
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
Brass
2010s Archizoom Associati Sofas
Velvet
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
Fabric, Rosewood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Archizoom Associati Sofas
Fiberglass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Archizoom Associati Sofas
Cotton, Plastic
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
Mohair, Foam
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
Leather, Wood
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
Leather, Wood
2010s Egyptian Modern Archizoom Associati Sofas
Upholstery
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
Leather, Wood, Lacquer
2010s Archizoom Associati Sofas
Fabric
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
PVC
1960s Italian Space Age Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
Leather, Fiberglass
1960s Italian Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
Faux Leather
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
PVC
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
Cotton, Fabric, Fiberglass
1960s Italian Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
Upholstery, Resin, Fiberglass, Lacquer
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
Fiberglass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas
PVC