Superonda sofa by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova
About the Item
- Creator:Archizoom Associati (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 13.8 in (35.06 cm)Width: 94.5 in (240.03 cm)Depth: 39.5 in (100.33 cm)Seat Height: 13.8 in (35.06 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1967
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Wear consistent with age, some scuffing to edges, one 2cm tear on the bottom edge of the larger piece.
- Seller Location:Chicago, IL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU9479237376842
Archizoom Associati
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Chicago, IL
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Pair of CL9 Ribbon Chairs by Cesare Leonardi and Franca Stagi for FiarmBy Cesare Leonardi and Franca StagiLocated in Chicago, IL1961, Italy. Lacquered fiberglass on a tubular chrome-plated steel base. “In 1957, in the second year of university, while the professor of Construction Sciences explains the princi...Category
20th Century Italian Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Bodyform variant chair by Peter DankoBy Peter DankoLocated in Chicago, ILUSA, 1995. Molded from a single sheet of maple plywood, 20 available.Category
20th Century American Chairs
MaterialsPlywood
- Superonda sofa, Archizoom & Associati, Poltronova 1970sBy Archizoom Associati, PoltronovaLocated in Milano, LombardiaSuperonda sofa, Archizoom & Associati, Poltronova 1970s. Superonda is distinguished by its bold absence of a body. At the center of its design are two sinuous waves, precisely sculpt...Category
Vintage 1970s Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsFaux Leather, Foam
- Superonda Black Sofa by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova, 1960 ItalyBy Archizoom Associati, PoltronovaLocated in The Hague, NLMagnificent space age sofa Model SuperOnda with curved and eccentric lines. Designed in 1967 by the radical Florentine Archizoom group for Poltronova, it is the first sofa without a ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFaux Leather, PVC
- Superonda sofa by Archizoom pour Poltronova 1960By Archizoom Associati, PoltronovaLocated in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FRSofa model Superonda by Archizoom for Poltronova in the 60s Iconic piece All in foam covered by a grey fabric (new)Category
Mid-20th Century French Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Foam
- Italin Mid-Century Superonda Sofa by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova, 1967Located in MIlano, ITItalin mid-century superonda sofa by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova, 1967. Modular sofa "superonda" model, composed of two S-shaped shapes in glossy...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsPVC
- 'Safari' Mid-Century Italian Sofa by Archizoom Associati for PoltronovaBy Archizoom AssociatiLocated in London, GBA 'Safari lounge sofa. Italy, c1968. Made by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova. White lacquered fibreglass, in four sectional elements....Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Sofas
MaterialsFiberglass
- Archizoom Vintage White "Superonda" Sofa, Poltronova, Italy, 1960sBy Andrea Branzi, Archizoom Associati, PoltronovaLocated in Skokie, ILArchizoom vintage original white "Superonda" sofa for Poltronova, Italy, 1960s An icon of Italian Design of the Post-modern Radical design era. The Superonda was a symbol of the new...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFoam, Upholstery