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.
Gianni Pareschi ‘Fiocco’ Chair for Archizoom Associati by Busnelli
By Gianni Pareschi 1, Archizoom Associati, Busnelli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Fiocco chair, designed in 1970 by Gianni Pareschi for the avant-garde design group Archizoom Associati and manufactured by Busnelli, is a striking exa...
Fabric
'Baffo' Lounge chair by Didone & Pareschi for Busnelli, Italy
By Gianni Pareschi 1, Ezio Didone
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Baffo Armchair (circa 1969) Materials : Chrome-plated metal frame, leather Size : 80x98,5cm H: 82 cm SH: 29cm The form and function of Italian design from this era are reflected in ...
Chrome
$47,507 / set
H 25.6 in W 102.37 in D 84.65 in
Midcentury Safari sofa by Archizoom for Poltronova, Italy 1968
By Archizoom Associati, Poltronova
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
"Riga" Daybed by Eleonore Peduzzi Riva for Busnelli
By Eleonore Peduzzi Riva, Busnelli
Located in Milan, IT
"Riga" daybed by Eleonore Peduzzi Riva for Busnelli Sturdy metal frame with adjustable sections supporting a generous leather padded base with cushion. Side movable integrated tray. ...
Metal
$46,301
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
Fauteuil AEO par Archizoom Associati pour Cassina
By Archizoom Associati, Cassina
Located in Rouen, FR
Fauteuil AEO conçu par Paolo Deganello du collectif Archizoom Associati, édité par Cassina en 1973. Véritable manifeste du design radical italien, le AEO est un fauteuil démontable,...
Metal
1973 AEO Armchair by Archizoom Associati for Cassina Italy
By Cassina
Located in Weesp, NL
Introducing the AEO Armchair: A Timeless Icon of Design Step into the world of design history with the AEO Armchair, a masterpiece created by Paolo Degan...
Steel, Iron
Poltronova SAFARI Sofa by Archizoom Associati
By Archizoom Associati, Poltronova
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
$16,033
H 31.5 in W 51.58 in D 29.14 in
Armchair with Ottoman Mies Model by Archizoom Associati for Poltronova, Italy
By Archizoom Associati
Located in Milan, Italy
The structure is in chromed metal, the seat in latex sheet that deforms in response to the weight of the body. Ottoman size: W 105 cm x D 20 cm x H 34 cm. Bulbs: 3 x LED E14 3W [ma...
Metal
$16,627 / set
H 35.04 in W 30.71 in D 38.59 in
Pareschi & Didone "Baffo" Leather Lounge Chairs, Busnelli, Italy, 1969, Pair
By Gianni Pareschi 1, Ezio Didone, Busnelli
Located in PARIS, FR
Pair of "Baffo" lounge chairs by Gianni Pareschi and Ezio Didone for Busnelli, Italy, 1969. Original first edition in cowhide leather and chromed tubular steel, produced prior to the...
Steel
$16,000
H 35.01 in W 31.01 in D 38.01 in
Italian Mid Century Modern Baffo Chair by Gianni Pareschi and Ezio Didone, 1969
By Gianni Pareschi 1, Ezio Didone, Busnelli
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
This iconic and extremely rare 'Baffo' chair was designed for Busnelli by Ezio Didone and Gianni Pareschi. It features a chromed tubular steel frame and a saddle-stitched leather se...
Cowhide
Pair of MAT Stools by Gianni Pareschi for Ciatti, 1980s
By Gianni Pareschi 1
Located in Bastia Umbra, IT
Coppia Sgabelli Mat di Gianni Pareschi per Ciatti, Made in Italy, Anni '80. Bellissima Coppia di Sgabelli MAT di Gianni Pareschi. La struttura e lo schienale sono in acciaio vernicia...
Steel
Poltronova MIES Armchair by Archizoom Associati
By Poltronova, Archizoom Associati
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