Arflex Ribalta Adjustable Daybed by Fabrizio Ballardini

About the Item

Ribalta Sofa designed by Fabrizio Ballardini for Arflex, 1980s. Easily adjustable from a spacious two-seater sofa into a comfortable daybed. The upholstery is still presentable with no tears or excessive wear, reupholstery available upon request. Fabrizio Ballardini, architect since 1977, turns his attention to industrial Design in 1980, working with many internationally renowned furniture factories. He designs for Arflex, Roche Bobois, Seven, Bernini, Sirrah, Gamma International, Bontempi, Progetti, Atl Group, Altrenotti, Vetfor, Enterprice Marine, Ipe, Kenzo Maison. Its work in the 90s is identificable for the dynamism of the design, something he considers “chameleon” for the versatility of his projects. In those years he published Camaleo, a collection of his most remarkable projects, including Ribalta sofa for Arflex (Top Ten 1993 in Cologne Exposition), Mago for Bernini (Dictionaire D’Habitalien of Paris), Papilia lamp for Sirrah and San Siro inflatable armchair for Progetti. He designed the layout of “Made in Italy”, a furniture mall in Nagoya. His works can be found in: Design Anni 80 – publishes by Cantin, Contemporary Italian Furniture – publishes by L’Archivolto, Il design in Italia – publishes by Umberto Allemandi e C., Techniques Discretes 1980-1990 – publishes by Elemond Periodici.

Creator:

Fabricio Ballardini (Designer),Arflex (Manufacturer)

Dimensions:

Height: 27.56 in (70 cm)Width: 64.97 in (165 cm)Depth: 47.25 in (120 cm)Seat Height: 16.54 in (42 cm)

Style:

Modern (In the Style Of)

Materials and Techniques:

Fabric,Steel

Place of Origin:

Italy

Period:

1980-1989

Date of Manufacture:

1985

Condition:

Minor fading. New upholstery is recommended and available upon request.

Seller Location:

Dronten, NL

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU931438218062

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Arflex

From its unorthodox beginnings, Italian manufacturer Arflex grew into one of the leaders of 20th-century furniture design. Its furniture came to be known for its integration of new materials and bold appeal, and today a variety of vintage Arflex chairs, sofas and tables are emblems of mid-century modernism.

Arflex was established in Milan in 1947 by Pirelli employees Carlo Barassi, Pio Reggiani, Renato Teani and Aldo Bai. Barassi, a Milan Polytechnic graduate and visionary engineer at the Italian tire manufacturer, explored innovative technology and new uses for synthetic materials in domestic products (for Kartell, he codeveloped a ski rack for automobiles). The four founders partnered with a young architect named Marco Zanuso, who also desired to create furniture that featured an application of novel materials such as elastic tape and polyurethane foam.

One of Arflex’s inaugural pieces was Zanuso’s Lady armchair, a seat made of polyurethane foam that was manufactured in pieces and assembled at the very end of the production process. It won a gold medal at the 1951 Milan Triennale. A couple of years later, Arflex collaborated with Studio BBPR to create the office-chic Elettra and Neptunia chairs. The flourishing furniture company quickly established a reputation for compelling products and attracting and working with up-and-coming designers such as Roberto Menghi, who created Hall, a luxurious line of seating that would earn the Compasso d’Oro – Honorable Mention in 1959.

In the 1960s, Arflex continued to welcome the use of new and cutting-edge materials. Popular designs from this decade include Carlo Bartoli's fiberglass and polyester resin Gaia lounge chair and Cini Boer’s Bobo Relax lounger, one of history’s first seating pieces made of polyurethane foam (it has no internal frame). Boer, a pioneer of furniture design in Italy, also created the Strips sofa for the brand in 1972. Part of a plush modular seating system, the Strips sofa became an Arflex icon and was awarded the Compasso d'Oro in 1979.

Arflex continues to work with innovative designers to this day. Among their more recent collaborations is with Swedish design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune. The company's legendary creations are also on display at museums worldwide. The Lady chair, for example, is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

On 1stDibs, you can find a collection of vintage Arflex lounge chairs, armchairs, coffee tables and other furniture.