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.
Midcentury Safari sofa by Archizoom for Poltronova, Italy 1968
By Poltronova, Archizoom Associati
Located in HAARLEM, NL
An icon, vintage Safari sofa by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova. A base made of white-coated fibreglass reinforced plastic, integrated seats arranged in the form of a flower, newl...
Fiberglass
$36,150
H 26.78 in W 37.8 in D 37.8 in
Ornate Camaleonda Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, Italy, 1970s
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in Antwerp, BE
Camaleonda modular sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, a timeless piece of furniture that emerged in the design scene during the 1970s. Comprising three large and three smaller...
Fabric
$28,092Sale Price|20% Off
H 23.63 in W 122.84 in D 63 in
Environ 1 cotton-upholstered sofa by Ennio Chiggio for Nikol Italy, 1970
By Ennio Chiggio
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Environ 1 modular sofa designed by Ennio Chiggio for Nikol International, 1970. Polyurethane foam frame, cotton fabric, faux leather backing, metal inserts, composed of 4 joined elem...
Cotton
$17,440Sale Price|20% Off
H 26.78 in W 37.8 in D 37.8 in
Blue Velvet Camaleonda Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, Italy, 1970s
By Mario Bellini
Located in Antwerp, BE
Camaleonda modular sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, a timeless piece of furniture that emerged in the design scene during the 1970s. Comprising two large seating elements equipp...
Velvet
Sofa Sofo Model by Superstudio for Poltronova, Italy
By Poltronova, Superstudio
Located in Asti, Piemonte
Sofa in polyurethane with base in molded plastic and upholstery in cotton and viscose. The Sofo is a seat to be placed in a row, like a train, or to be stacked to build solid colored mountains. It is just a block, obtained by means of an “S” cut, from a polyurethane cube, covered with a fabric crossed by two large lines. It is the result of a very simple operation, without waste, neither material nor thought. It is presented as a compact, abstract and colorful object...
Cotton, Plastic
$8,010 / set
H 29.53 in W 29.53 in D 28.35 in
Pair of 1968 Ciprea Armchairs by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina (1968), Italy
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Mario Bellini, Tito Agnoli, Cassina
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
Beautiful and chic pair of Ciprea armchairs by the legendary Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina. Made in Italy in 1968, covered with original burnt orange velvet. A predecessor to the...
Velvet, Plywood
$14,000 / set
H 29.53 in W 29.53 in D 28.35 in
1968 Ciprea Armchairs by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina (1968), Italy, Set of 4
By Tito Agnoli, Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Cassina, Mario Bellini
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
Beautiful and chic set of 4 Ciprea armchairs by the legendary Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina. Made in Italy in 1968, covered with original burnt orange velvet. A predecessor to th...
Velvet, Plywood
$31,960Sale Price / set|26% Off
H 26.38 in W 37.8 in D 37.8 in
Camaleonda Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, Italy, 1970s
By Mario Bellini, B&B Italia
Located in Antwerp, BE
Camaleonda modular sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, a timeless piece of furniture that emerged in the design scene during the 1970s. Comprising four large and two smaller seatin...
Velvet
Sold|$46,070
H 27.56 in W 102.37 in D 84.65 in
'Safari' Mid-Century Italian Sofa by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova
By Archizoom Associati
Located in London, GB
A 'Safari lounge sofa. Italy, c1968. Made by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova. White lacquered fibreglass, in four sectional elements....
Fiberglass
$21,660
H 23.63 in W 177.17 in D 38.59 in
Rare Lucite Sectional Sofa by Roberto Monsani for Acerbis, Italy 1975
By Acerbis, Roberto Monsani
Located in Echt, NL
Very rare ‘Life’ sofa in very good condition Designed by Roberto Monsani in 1975 and manufactured by Acerbis in Italy. When imagining new ways of living, Monsani envisioned furnitu...
Fabric, Mohair, Plastic, Lucite
Poltronova MIES Armchair by Archizoom Associati
By Archizoom Associati, Poltronova
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Mies armchair was born in 1969 from the idea of using a strip of para rubber or India rubber —strong, elastic materials— as a seat. The structure, a triangle in chrome—plated met...
Metal
Poltronova SAFARI Sofa by Archizoom Associati
By Poltronova, Archizoom Associati
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Safari sofa is a multiple seat with the profile of the backrest shaped like a series of waves, one gathers in the central void, accessed through an opening, as in a sort of tribal ritual. The piece of furniture consists of four pieces of two different types [two armchair modules and two sofa modules]. The Safari sofa was put into production for the first time by Poltronova in 1968. The experimental fibreglass technique was used for the structure. For the seat and backrest upholstery, Archizoom chose a printed animal pattern fabric with a Leopard print. The same pattern is used for the polyurethane foam rug placed between the seats. The choice of the leopard pattern was a cultured reference to the work “Bedroom ensemble” [1963] by Claes Oldenburg, master of English Pop Art, and his subsequent “Leopard chair...
Fiberglass
$17,000
H 24.41 in W 31.5 in D 32.68 in
Giuseppe Munari for Poltronova Set of Four Modular Orange Sofa 1970s
By Poltronova
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
Italian Mid Century Modern orange set of four modular sofa by Giuseppe Munari for Poltronova 1970s. Newly professionally reupholstered in Italy with Orange fabric. A modular sofa ...
Velvet, Plastic
Sold
H 25.6 in W 102.37 in D 84.65 in
'Safari' Sofa by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova, Italy, 1960s
By Poltronova, Archizoom Associati
Located in Antwerp, BE
Exceptionally rare "Safari" sectional sofa, designed in 1968 by the influential Italian collective Archizoom Associati for Poltronova. This unique four-piece set includes two two-sea...
Faux Fur, Fiberglass
Sofa Superonda White by Archizoom for Poltronova
By Poltronova, Archizoom Associati
Located in Milano, IT
Magnificent 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 shell. It consists of two waves, hence SuperOnda, made from a block of polyurethane sawn into two parts by an "S" cut, which fit together and overlap, shaping different configurations. Lightness and modularity allow for a variety of uses: Superonda can be a sofa, bed and chaise longue. Like many of the pieces designed by the Archizoom group, it proves a challenge to bourgeois conventions, stimulating the user's creativity and imagination. The white sky-vinyl upholstery. The work of Archizoom-which historians place in the strand of radical architecture-has investigated different areas of creativity and design: object design, clothing...
PVC
Sold
H 24.81 in W 103.15 in D 103.15 in
Archizoom Associati, Modular Safari Sofa, for Poltronova, Italy, 1968
By Poltronova, Archizoom Associati
Located in Antwerp, BE
Archizoom Associati, modular safari sofa, for Poltronova, Italy, 1968 This very rare Safari sofa, created in 1968 by Archizoom Associati for Pol...
Fabric, Fiberglass, Cotton
Sold
H 39.38 in W 94.49 in D 14.97 in
Archizoom Associati Poltronova Superonda Sofa Glossy Black PVC, Italy, 1967
By Poltronova, Archizoom Associati
Located in Catania, IT
"Superonda" sofa designed by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova in Italy, 1967. The sofa is characterized by two polyurethane blocks with particular swaying shapes that overlap each...
PVC