Pair of "P40" Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Tecno (Author),Osvaldo Borsani (Artist)
- Dimensions:Height: 80 in (203.2 cm)Width: 70 in (177.8 cm)Depth: 80 in (203.2 cm)Seat Height: 1 in (2.54 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. Reupholstery whit original fabric.
- Seller Location:Rovereta, SM
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3757330138372
Osvaldo Borsani
With his stylish and technically innovative furniture, Osvaldo Borsani helped change the face of Italian design in the 1950s and ’60s. His sofas and chairs, featuring deeply upholstered seating and adjustable position settings, have an aura of optimism and efficiency that still seems fresh and lively today.
Born in the commune of Varedo in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, Borsani studied at the Brera Academy in Milan — the same school attended by such luminaries as designer Piero Fornasetti and artist Lucio Fontana — as well as the Polytechnic University of Milan. Borsani first worked for his father’s furniture-making firm, Arredamenti Borsani, an atelier influenced by the more expressive and curvaceous wing of Art Deco design.
By 1953, when, along with his twin brother, Fulgenzio — the pair also created this visionary mid-century villa — Borsani opened the furniture company Tecno, his design sensibilities had evolved toward furnishings with strong, simple forms enhanced by mechanical innovations, as with the P40 adjustable armchair. Borsani would be the firm’s lead designer for 30 years, while fostering work by Vico Magistretti, Carlo De Carli, Robin Day and others.
Similar to Gio Ponti in the earliest years of his career, Borsani first created designs marked by lush and buoyant lines: tables with voluptuous curved legs, sofas with undulating backrests.
But Borsani’s best-known and most novel pieces date from Tecno’s initial furniture lines: the adjustable D70 sofa, which folds open to make a daybed, and the P40 recliner. The latter — now included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum — is an articulated lounger with a back, seat and leg rest that can be moved into 486 different positions. Not only is it extremely comfortable, it is also enduringly chic.
Find a collection of vintage Osvaldo Borsani tables, dining chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Tecno
From his early start at his father’s boutique furniture and cabinetry atelier — Arredamenti Borsani (ABV) — Italian designer Osvaldo Borsani began to steadily dream to life the movement-inducing pieces that would eventually lead to him founding his innovative furniture company, Tecno, with his twin brother, Fulgenzio.
Born in the commune of Varedo in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, Borsani studied at the Brera Academy in Milan — the same school attended by such luminaries as designer Piero Fornasetti and artist Lucio Fontana — as well as the Polytechnic University of Milan. He first worked for the family furniture-making firm, ABV, an atelier influenced by the more expressive and curvaceous wing of Art Deco design. Borsani took over Arredamenti Borsani in 1937.
With his stylish and technically innovative furniture, Borsani helped change the face of Italian design in the 1950s and ’60s. His sofas and chairs, featuring deeply upholstered seating and adjustable position settings, have an aura of optimism and efficiency that still seems fresh and lively today.
While he is today recognized as a master of mid-century modernist Italian furniture, Borsani is most famous these days for cofounding Tecno. (He and Fulgenzio also created Villa Borsani, a visionary mid-century estate cherished for its modern lines and exquisite custom furnishings.)
When Borsani opened Tecno, an office-focused maker of industrial design, his design sensibilities had evolved toward furnishings with strong, simple forms enhanced by mechanical innovations, as with the P40 adjustable armchair.
When they were originally released, Tecno pieces like the P40 and the award-winning D70 sofa bed were acclaimed as cutting-edge, and they are still considered groundbreaking in their adaptability and functionality. The firm quickly garnered widespread acclaim for its tech-forward designs and quality craftsmanship.
Borsani would be Tecno’s lead designer for 30 years, while partnering on projects with the likes of architect Eugenio Gerli and fostering work by Vico Magistretti, Carlo De Carli, Robin Day and others.
Borsani designed pieces for Tecno until shortly before his death in 1985, when his daughter Valeria and her husband, Marco Fantoni, took over the creative work.
Today, the family’s legacy is preserved by Borsani’s architect grandson Tommaso Fantoni, who, along with Norman Foster, curated a blockbuster retrospective of Osvaldo Borsani’s work at Milan’s Triennale Design Museum in 2018.
Find vintage Tecno chairs, tables, desks and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Rovereta, San Marino
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Rare Variant Pair of Armchairs P32 Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Italy, 1950By Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Rovereta, SMRare variant pair armchairs P32 Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, Italy, 1950, whit brass legs.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Occasional Table Designed by Osvaldo Borsani for TecnoBy Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Rovereta, SMOccasional table designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, brass and Carrara marble top.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsCarrara Marble, Brass
- AT 16 Coat Rack by Osvaldo Borsani for TecnoBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Rovereta, SMThe AT 16 was originally designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno in 1961. The size is variable from 250 cm to 320 cmCategory
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsAluminum
- Osvaldo Borsani Coffee Side Table "T 61c" for TecnoBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Rovereta, SMAvailable two Osvaldo Borsani A "T 61c" coffee side table manufactured by Tecno, 1957. Varnished steel and Carrara marble top. Original label Letteratura: Giampiero Bosoni...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsCarrara Marble, Steel
- Rare Set of Three T1 Side Tables by Osvaldo Borsani I, 1950sBy Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Rovereta, SMRare three Italian side table T1 by Osvaldo Borsani in brass nickel and Reverse-painted glass,, 1950s.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Eugenio Gerli for Tecno 'P28' Pair of Lounge Chairs in WengéBy Tecno, Eugenio GerliLocated in Rovereta, SMEugenio Gerli for Tecno, pair of armchairs, model 'P28', wenge, leather, Italy, 1958Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Osvaldo Borsani "P40" Lounge Chair for Tecno S.p.A., Italy, 1950sBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Utrecht, NLThe P40, designed in 1955, is not only the most famous design of Italian architect and designer, Osvaldo Borsani, but of Italian mid-century design as well. This model is part of the...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Armchair P40, Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno, 1950sBy Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Milano, LombardiaArmchair P40, Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno, 1950s. An innovative armchair by Osvaldo Borsani, equipped with advanced technology to maximize the possibilities of the classic chaise longue. ...Category
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Osvaldo Borsani P40 All Original Lounge Chair for TECNO, Italy, circa 1960By Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Pijnacker, Zuid-HollandIntroducing this excellent and still completely original P40 lounge chair by Osvaldo Borsani for TECNO Italy, circa 1960. If you are looking for a design period original in gorgeous ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Original Osvaldo Borsani P40 Reclining Chair, Tecno, Italy, 1950s/60sBy Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in London, GBAn original Osvaldo Borsani P40 Reclining Chair, Tecno, Italy, 1950s. All hardware in working order. Reclines and adjusts into a h...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Lounge Chair-Design "P40" by Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno, Italy, 1955By Tecno Design Centre, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Wolfurt, ATOsvaldo Borsani "P40" relax armchair, manufacturer Tecno, Italy, 1950s. The armchair has been completely restored and covered again with the original cover. It now only needs a new f...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Vintage P40 Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, First SeriesBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Milano, ITBorsani P40 Lounge Chair - Italian Collectible Furniture - Mid Century Armchair - Collectible Italian Mid Century Designed in 1956 by Italian architect Osvaldo Borsani, the P40 loun...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Stainless Steel