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Archizoom Associati Sofas

Italian

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.

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Creator: Archizoom Associati
Poltronova SAFARI Sofa by Archizoom Associati
Poltronova SAFARI Sofa by Archizoom Associati

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...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Archizoom Associati Sofas

Materials

Fiberglass

Upholstered “Superonda” Sofa by Archizoom for Poltronova, Italy 1967
Upholstered “Superonda” Sofa by Archizoom for Poltronova, Italy 1967

Upholstered “Superonda” Sofa by Archizoom for Poltronova, Italy 1967

By Archizoom Associati, Poltronova

Located in Utrecht, NL

Throughout the 20th century, Italian design managed to distinguish itself. The 1960s was a boom time in Italy especially, a decade of mass production and innovation that signaled the...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas

Materials

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Superonda sofa, Archizoom & Associati, Poltronova 1970s
Superonda sofa, Archizoom & Associati, Poltronova 1970s

Superonda sofa, Archizoom & Associati, Poltronova 1970s

By Archizoom Associati, Poltronova

Located in Milano, Lombardia

Superonda 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...

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1970s Post-Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Sofas

Materials

Faux Leather, Foam

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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...

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Located in Paris, FR

"Safari" lounge sofa, Archizoom Associati (assets from 1966 to 1974). Model created in 1968, first edition of Poltronova 1968. In white lacquered fiberglass, composed of four eleme...

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Archizoom Associati, Rare Six-Seater Sofa "Safari", circa 1968, Italy
Archizoom Associati, Rare Six-Seater Sofa "Safari", circa 1968, Italy

Archizoom Associati, Rare Six-Seater Sofa "Safari", circa 1968, Italy

By Archizoom Associati

Located in Nice, Cote d' Azur

Archizoom Association (1966-1974), six-seater sofa model "Safari", Composed of four modules, White lacquered and upholstered fiberglass structure, Foam-padded seats covered with...

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Archizoom Associati Poltronova Superonda Sofa Glossy Black PVC, Italy, 1967
Archizoom Associati Poltronova Superonda Sofa Glossy Black PVC, Italy, 1967

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"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...

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Archizoom Associati sofas for sale on 1stDibs.

Archizoom Associati sofas are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of plastic and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Archizoom Associati sofas, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original sofas by Archizoom Associati were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider sofas by Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Ettore Sottsass, and Claudio Salocchi. Prices for Archizoom Associati sofas can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $4,787 and can go as high as $43,198, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $6,500.

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