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Mario Bellini "Le Mura" Lounge Chair for Cassina, Italy, 1970s
About the Item
Italian architect Mario Bellini is well known for creating monumental and conceptual pieces of design, such as the Camaleonda sofa (1971) and Il Colonnato table (1977). His architecture and design work have won him many career accolades, working with Italy’s most renowned manufacturers Cassina and B&B Italia.
This lounge chair model named “Le Mura” is part of the eponymous sofa range, which includes a modular sofa, a daybed and the present lounge chair. Like the sofa, this lounge chair was in production for a limited time and much less produced, therefore very rare. Le Mura stands for ‘the walls’ and it is said that this name and the design was inspired by the large stones that were used to build the ancient Roman walls and roads. Like the Camaleonda, “Le Mura” is defined by its voluptuous profile. Besides the pure size of the design, the chrome metal buckles are the main distinctive features of this range, serving the purpose of hooking the modules together. The original brown leather upholstery covering the square frame makes this chair resemble a classic club chair. As the back is the same height as the armrests, the design calls for comfortable lounging. Bellini is highly regarded for designing modular pieces that not only look good but are also ergonomically considered. Furthermore, the pieces of his ranges can stand individually as well, evidenced by this lounge chair. It is classic and modern at the same time, carrying with it the timeless Italian charm of Bellini and Cassina.
Le Mura was manufactured with the innovative system of hooks created by Bellini in 1970, which defines the characteristic look and modularity. Established in 1927 by Cesare and Umberto Cassina in Meda, Italy. The opening of the Milan showroom designed my Bellini, Cassina became the made in Italy furniture benchmark. With a mindset focused on research and innovation, Cassina has been combining technology and long-standing artisan craftsmanship ever since its establishment.
Condition:
In vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. The armchair has its original leather upholstery with patina and discolouration in the back.
Dimensions:
47.63 in W x 37.79 in D x 30.9 in H; Seat height 20.47 in; Arm height 30.11 in
121 cm W x 96 cm D x 78.5 cm H; Seat height 52 cm; Arm height 76.5 cm
About the designer:
Mario Bellini (born February 1, 1935, Milan) is an internationally renowned Italian architect and designer. He received the Golden Compass Award eight times and the Medaglia d’Oro, that was conferred on him by the President of the Italian Republic. The MoMA in New York already dedicated a personal retrospective exhibition to him in 1987. At the time the museum already included 25 of his works in its permanent collection, including a remarkable set of Olivetti machines as well as the furniture for B&B and Cassina.
He graduated from the Milan Polytechnic - Faculty of Architecture in 1959 and began working as an architect himself in the early 1960s. Like many other Italian architects, his activities range from architecture and urban planning to product and furniture design.
His career as a product and furniture designer began in 1963, and from 1963 to 1991 he was chief design consultant for Olivetti. For many years he designed furnishing products and systems for B&B Italia and Cassina, TV sets for Brionvega, and hi-fi systems, headphones and electric organs for Yamaha. Bellini was also the editor of Domus magazine between 1985 and 1991.
Since the 1980s, Bellini has been dedicating himself to architecture almost exclusively, designing a wide range of buildings all around the world, including the Portello Trade Fair district in Milan, the Tokyo Design Centre in Japan, the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, the Deutsche Bank Headquarters in Frankfurt, and the Department of Islamic Art at the Louvre in Paris to just name a few. In 2015 the Milan Triennale awarded him the Gold Medal for his career in architecture and in 2017 dedicated a retrospective exhibition to him. Contemporary Italian design has been synonymous with Mario Bellini’s name ever since the 1960s. ~H.
Shipping:
This lounge chair will be packed and shipped with the greatest care to make sure you will receive the item in the gallery condition. Complimentary shipping within the Netherlands.
- Creator:Mario Bellini (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.91 in (78.5 cm)Width: 47.64 in (121 cm)Depth: 37.8 in (96 cm)Seat Height: 20.48 in (52 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. The lounge chair has its original leather upholstery with patina and discolouration in the back.
- Seller Location:Utrecht, NL
- Reference Number:
Mario Bellini
Milan-born architect and designer Mario Bellini just may be the closest thing to a modern-day Renaissance man: His creative output spans genres, from electronics to furniture to architecture to cars, comprising iconic designs in each. He has been the recipient of multiple prestigious Compasso d’Oro design awards, and more than 20 of his works are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
Born in 1935, Bellini studied architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan before founding his own firm in his native city in the early 1960s. He soon branched out beyond architecture, however, first for the tech manufacturer Olivetti, where he served as chief industrial design consultant from 1963 to 1991. During that time, Bellini oversaw the design of some of Olivetti’s most popular typewriters.
His penchant for electronic design didn’t stop there: Bellini also designed cameras for Fuji, televisions for Brionvega and a slew of audio devices for Yamaha, then served as design consultant for Renault and devised the interior of the 1980 Lancia Trevi for Fiat. Meanwhile, his architecture work spans continents, including such modern gems as the Museum of Islamic Arts at the Louvre, the National Gallery of Victoria extension in Melbourne, the Dubai Creek Complex and the Milan Convention Centre in his hometown.
And then there’s the furniture: Over the last 70 years, Bellini has designed office furniture for Vitra; lamps for Artemide, Erco and FLOS; porcelain for Rosenthal and long-admired sofas and other seating for Kartell, Natuzzi, B&B Italia, Cassina and more.
His oft-imitated 1977 Cab chair for Cassina, comprising 16 individual pieces of saddle leather that create a “skin” over a minimal metal frame, remains one of the manufacturer’s best sellers today. His pudgy-legged, round tables for Cassina foreshadow Faye Toogood’s widely loved Roly Poly line. His postmodern Summa armchairs for Kartell, as well as his elegant Chiara floor lamp, still lure collectors on vintage furniture websites.
Bellini’s most famous contribution to furniture design, though, may be his 1970 Camaleonda sofa for B&B Italia (then C&B Italia). An entrant to the 1972 MoMA show “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape,” the seat takes its name from the Italian words for chameleon and wave. Its bulbous, modular form makes it infinitely flexible. The sofa was a runaway hit at the show and, once discontinued, remained so popular among vintage dealers that B&B Italia reissued it in 2020 with all recycled materials and interchangeable seat covers. “Of all the objects I have designed, Camaleonda is perhaps the best in terms of its sense of freedom,” Bellini said.
Browse an expansive collection of Mario Bellini furniture — including dining tables, armchairs, mid-century sofas and more — today on 1stDibs.
About the Seller
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Associations
20th Century Specialists
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Utrecht, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
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