Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
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. Vintage Mario Bellini sofas, dining chairs and other seating pieces are widely coveted, and the designer has been the recipient of multiple prestigious Compasso d’Oro awards. 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 vintage Mario Bellini furniture — including dining tables, armchairs, mid-century sofas and more — today on 1stDibs.
1990s Swiss Modern Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Leather, Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Steel
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Plastic
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Upholstery
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Metal
20th Century American Regency Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Metal, Brass
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Steel, Chrome
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Bronze
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Leather, Plastic
1970s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Aluminum
1990s American Mid-Century Modern Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Metal
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Metal
1990s Swiss Modern Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Leather, Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Mario Bellini Swivel Chairs
Mario Bellini swivel chairs for sale on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023Whether or not a Mario Bellini sofa is comfortable is largely a matter of personal opinion. However, many people find that the designer's sofas provide plush support due to their thick backrests and seat cushions. With its sumptuous tufted cushions, seductive low profile and endless rearrangement possibilities, the Bellini–designed Camaleonda sofa, for example, is infinitely flexible and can double as sculpture in any interior. Shop a selection of Mario Bellini furniture on 1stDibs.