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Enzo Mari Sofas

Italian, 1932-2020

Enzo Mari was an influential industrial designer and a beloved curmudgeon who revered Marxism. His vintage mid-century modern designs are simple, functional and poetic. Widely known Mari-designed objects include desk accessories, such as the Formosa perpetual wall calendar, vases, cocktail tables and chandeliers

Enzo Mari's work is embedded within the city of Milan, the Italian capital of all things design. In fact, the traffic bollards he devised are part of the city itself: Shaped like "panettone" cakes, they simultaneously direct traffic and provide seating for pedestrians.

In 1974, Mari published Autoprogettazione? (roughly translated as self-design), a Marx-inspired, anti-industrial, do-it-yourself handbook for the everyday person to use to build furniture without the assistance of a glitzy designer or knowledge of complex joinery. Mari’s intent with the publication was to remove the alienation of the creator and manufacturer from the end product by teaching anyone to develop a critical eye for production.

Artek relaunched kits based on the blueprints in the manual in an exhibition at Spazio Rossana Orlandi in 2010. The subsequent collectability of his work was reportedly irksome for Mari because he abhorred the industrial production for which he was becoming known.

Mari’s meager upbringing heavily influenced his politics, and even in childhood, he would come up with ingenious ways to support the family financially. As a designer, the desire to envision and build significant pieces was more important to Mari than devising new marketing and retail sales tactics. He optimistically believed objects could change the world. This view went against the rising consumer mania for every next trend that surfaced in the late 20th century. Not surprisingly, his ecological and economical stance led him to produce fewer objects.

Mari's philosophy did not stop people from desiring his creations, nor prevent other designers from wanting to collaborate with him. Following World War II, he worked for companies like Danese, Olivetti, Artemide, Driade and Alessi, who brought his prodigious designs to the public, and Mari’s work was widely celebrated. 

The Golden Compass, Italy's highest honor for industrial design, was awarded to Mari four times before he died from COVID in 2020, and New York’s Museum of Modern Art has a permanent collection of his objects on display.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of Enzo Mari decorative objects, folk art and serveware.

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Creator: Enzo Mari
"Elisa" Indoor Two-Seat Sofa Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade
"Elisa" Indoor Two-Seat Sofa Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade

"Elisa" Indoor Two-Seat Sofa Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade

By Driade, Enzo Mari

Located in Brooklyn, NY

"Elisa" is a two-seat sofa, designed by Enzo Mari and manufactured by Driade, featuring a structure made of steel finished in black-brown epoxy paint, cushions in polyurethane foam o...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Enzo Mari Sofas

Materials

Steel

"Elisa" Indoor Three-Seat Sofa Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade
"Elisa" Indoor Three-Seat Sofa Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade

"Elisa" Indoor Three-Seat Sofa Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade

By Driade, Enzo Mari

Located in Brooklyn, NY

"Elisa" is a three-seat sofa, designed by Enzo Mari and manufactured by Driade, featuring a structure made of steel finished in black-brown epoxy paint, cushions in polyurethane foam...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Enzo Mari Sofas

Materials

Steel

"Elisa" Outdoor Two-Seat Sofa Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade
"Elisa" Outdoor Two-Seat Sofa Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade

"Elisa" Outdoor Two-Seat Sofa Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade

By Driade, Enzo Mari

Located in Brooklyn, NY

"Elisa" is an outdoor two-seat sofa, designed by Enzo Mari and manufactured by Driade, featuring a structure made of steel with protective cataphoresis treatment, finished in black-b...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Enzo Mari Sofas

Materials

Steel

Mid-Century Modern Gambadilegno Sofa by Enzo Mari for Driade, Italy, 1974
Mid-Century Modern Gambadilegno Sofa by Enzo Mari for Driade, Italy, 1974

Mid-Century Modern Gambadilegno Sofa by Enzo Mari for Driade, Italy, 1974

By Driade, Enzo Mari

Located in Brussels, BE

Mid-Century Modern Gambadilegno Sofa by Enzo Mari for Driade, Italy, 1974 Enzo Mari (born April 27, 1932, in Novara, Italy–died October 19, 2020) was a noted Italian post-Modernist ...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Enzo Mari Sofas

Materials

Fabric, Wood

"Elisa" Outdoor Three-Seat Sofa Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade
"Elisa" Outdoor Three-Seat Sofa Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade

"Elisa" Outdoor Three-Seat Sofa Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade

By Enzo Mari, Driade

Located in Brooklyn, NY

"Elisa" is an outdoor three-seat sofa, designed by Enzo Mari and manufactured by Driade, featuring a structure made of steel with protective cataphoresis treatment, finished in black...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Enzo Mari Sofas

Materials

Steel

Related Items
Enzo Mari NOS The Box chair in orange for Aleph Atlantide Driade 1995
Enzo Mari NOS The Box chair in orange for Aleph Atlantide Driade 1995

Enzo Mari NOS The Box chair in orange for Aleph Atlantide Driade 1995

By Driade, Enzo Mari

Located in Skokie, IL

Enzo Mari NOS model "Box chair" in orange manufactured by Aleph Atlantide (Driade), Italy, 1995 The Enzo Mari NOS model "The Box" chair, manufactured by Aleph Atlantide (Driade) in ...

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Minimalist Sofa for Outdoor, Contemporary Brazilian Design
Minimalist Sofa for Outdoor, Contemporary Brazilian Design

Minimalist Sofa for Outdoor, Contemporary Brazilian Design

$2,850 / item

H 31.5 in W 53.15 in D 31.11 in

Minimalist Sofa for Outdoor, Contemporary Brazilian Design

By SIMONINI

Located in Vila Cordeiro, São Paulo

This minimalist outdoor sofa is made in hardwood, metal and fabrics, two places sofa with arms, the multi-finish structure is combined with outdoor fabrics such as the Batyline to create an interesting outdoor solution. Bellow the full Skyfolding collection concept: Skyfolding In-outdoor collection, the collection concept is inspired by the Asian building scaffoldings, where a structure is composed by bamboo sticks crossed to create this inspiring and fascinating structures. We combined elements of this structures and also references from the ballet stretching bars that often combine metal and wood, this combo is the concept very soul. All the figurative elements are abstracted in the design process to extract the precise best of each world, and by then resulting in a collection of delicate objects, cult and curated to the minimum details, in design and engineering. The collection is composed by outdoor net, batyline or plastic, in a portion leaving room to a more soft design approach that is harmonious, this elements are combined to a structure made of wood and metal that transcends to tech and soft, a paradigm of past, present and future that invite all the viewers to contemplate and reflect in this philosophical matters in a tactile and visual way. Resulting is a essential and timeless set of objects designed for the modern lifestyle that permit infinite compositions indoors or outdoors that will participate in lives for a lifetime like a breeze full of “zen” elements and energy. Award winner of the biggest South American design...

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"Elisa" Outdoor Armchair Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade
"Elisa" Outdoor Armchair Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade

"Elisa" Outdoor Armchair Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade

$5,283 / item

H 32.6 in W 36.6 in D 31.5 in

"Elisa" Outdoor Armchair Designed by Enzo Mari for Driade

By Driade, Enzo Mari

Located in Brooklyn, NY

"Elisa" is an outdoor armchair, designed by Enzo Mari and manufactured by Driade, featuring a structure made of steel with protective cataphoresis treatment, finished in black-brown ...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Enzo Mari Sofas

Materials

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Nautil Two Seater Sofa by Cedric Ragot for Roche Bobois
Nautil Two Seater Sofa by Cedric Ragot for Roche Bobois

Nautil Two Seater Sofa by Cedric Ragot for Roche Bobois

$4,450

H 30.375 in W 106.25 in D 37.375 in

Nautil Two Seater Sofa by Cedric Ragot for Roche Bobois

By Cedric Ragot, Roche Bobois

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Designed by acclaimed French industrial designer Cédric Ragot for Roche Bobois in 2013, this sculptural three-seater sofa blends contemporary form with luxurious materials. Known for...

Category

2010s French Modern Enzo Mari Sofas

Materials

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"Day-Night" Daybed by Enzo Mari for Driade, Italy, 1970s
"Day-Night" Daybed by Enzo Mari for Driade, Italy, 1970s

"Day-Night" Daybed by Enzo Mari for Driade, Italy, 1970s

$3,381

H 29.93 in W 84.26 in D 33.08 in

"Day-Night" Daybed by Enzo Mari for Driade, Italy, 1970s

By Enzo Mari, Driade

Located in Milan, IT

Rare "Day-Night" sofa bed by Enzo Mari for Driade. Brown lacquered steel frame hosts a revolving backrest and a single bed covered mattress. First "convertible" piece of furniture d...

Category

1970s Italian Vintage Enzo Mari Sofas

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Enzo Mari NOS The Box chair in blue for Aleph Atlantide Driade 1995
Enzo Mari NOS The Box chair in blue for Aleph Atlantide Driade 1995

Enzo Mari NOS The Box chair in blue for Aleph Atlantide Driade 1995

By Driade, Enzo Mari

Located in Skokie, IL

Enzo Mari NOS model "Box chair" in blue manufactured by Aleph Atlantide (Driade), Italy, 1995 The Enzo Mari NOS model "The Box" chair, manufactured by Aleph Atlantide (Driade) in It...

Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Enzo Mari Sofas

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Chair 1 by Enzo Mari for Artek
Chair 1 by Enzo Mari for Artek

Chair 1 by Enzo Mari for Artek

$1,566

H 33.86 in W 20.08 in D 20.87 in

Chair 1 by Enzo Mari for Artek

By Artek, Enzo Mari

Located in Busnago, IT

Chair mod. Chair 1 by Enzo Mari for Artek (Finland), 2002. Created by Mari in 1974, Chair 1 is a manifesto of his approach to furniture design, focusing on self-production and do-it-...

Category

Early 2000s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Enzo Mari Sofas

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"MT2" Sculptural Monobloc Sofa Designed by Ron Arad for Driade
"MT2" Sculptural Monobloc Sofa Designed by Ron Arad for Driade

"MT2" Sculptural Monobloc Sofa Designed by Ron Arad for Driade

$2,205 / item

H 33.4 in W 70.8 in D 33.6 in

"MT2" Sculptural Monobloc Sofa Designed by Ron Arad for Driade

By Ron Arad, Driade

Located in Brooklyn, NY

"MT2" is an iconic sculptural polyethylene monobloc sofa, designed by Ron Arad and manufactured by Driade, sand white colored outside and red, lilac, black or violet colored inside. ...

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Plastic

Three Seat Sofa Designed by Michael Taylor for Baker
Three Seat Sofa Designed by Michael Taylor for Baker

Three Seat Sofa Designed by Michael Taylor for Baker

$8,400Sale Price|40% Off

H 28 in W 83.25 in D 28.5 in

Three Seat Sofa Designed by Michael Taylor for Baker

By Dunbar Furniture, Edward Wormley

Located in Dallas, TX

Early and scarcely seen three-seat sofa with fixed back cushions and flared tapering arms designed by Michael Taylor for Baker. A very comfortable sofa with incredibly clean lines. R...

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Upholstery

"Tokyo-Pop" White or Black Monobloc Sofa Designed by T. Yoshioka for Driade
"Tokyo-Pop" White or Black Monobloc Sofa Designed by T. Yoshioka for Driade

"Tokyo-Pop" White or Black Monobloc Sofa Designed by T. Yoshioka for Driade

By Tokujin Yoshioka, Driade

Located in Brooklyn, NY

"Tokyo-Pop" is a white or black anthracite polyethylene monobloc iconic sofa, designed by Tokujin Yoshioka and manufactured by Driade. White version only is available in quick ship. Indoor and outdoor use. DIMENSIONS: D. 30.7", W. 69.5", H. 29.7", Seat H. 16.5" Tokyo-Pop collection was Tokujin Yoshioka's debut on the international design scene in 2002. Now he's considered as one of the masters of contemporary design. With his set of sofa, armchair and especially chaise longue and stool he seems to ignore the trivial qualities of rotational plastic molding and turn them into real sculptures featuring unforgettable and unusual forms. TOKUJIN YOSHIOKA, born in Japan in 1967 and winner of many awards, with pieces on display at the MoMA and the Cooper Hewitt in New York, the Victoria & Albert in London and the Vitra Design Museum, trained along with Shiro Kuramata and Issey Miyake, opened his own studio in 2000, and has worked with Japanese and international companies such as Hermès, Toyota, BMW and Swarovski, designing showrooms and installations. As a result of the success of the Honey-pop paper chair in 2001, he began establishing increasingly close links with the world of interior design, developing projects for Driade, Moroso and Kartell, amongst the others. The main feature of his creations is their poetic, light, dreamlike quality. His products, interiors and installations are the result of painstaking, complex research carried out on simple materials, combined with experimental technology. The awards he won include Design Miami...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Enzo Mari Sofas

Materials

Plastic

'Maralunga' Two-seater Sofa by Vico Magistretti for Cassina
'Maralunga' Two-seater Sofa by Vico Magistretti for Cassina

'Maralunga' Two-seater Sofa by Vico Magistretti for Cassina

By Vico Magistretti

Located in Zagreb, HR

Vintage 'Maralunga' two-seater sofa was designed by Vico Magistretti for Cassina in the 1970s. Introduced in 1973, the model became one of Magistretti's most recognized seating desig...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Enzo Mari Sofas

Materials

Leather

Enzo Mari Driade Sof Sof Chair in Graphite Gray, 1972
Enzo Mari Driade Sof Sof Chair in Graphite Gray, 1972

Enzo Mari Driade Sof Sof Chair in Graphite Gray, 1972

$1,791 / item

H 35.4 in W 18.1 in D 22.4 in

Enzo Mari Driade Sof Sof Chair in Graphite Gray, 1972

By Driade, Enzo Mari

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Made by Driade in 1972, Sof Sof reflects the essential elegance of the design by Enzo Mari. Structure made of steel rod finished in graphite gray color epoxy p...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Enzo Mari Sofas

Materials

Steel

Previously Available Items
ENZO MARI  Sheep model sofa  Driade production 1979
ENZO MARI  Sheep model sofa  Driade production 1979

ENZO MARI Sheep model sofa Driade production 1979

Sold

H 25.6 in W 59.06 in D 31.5 in

ENZO MARI Sheep model sofa Driade production 1979

By Enzo Mari

Located in Vigevano, PV

Sheep model sofa. Turned wood, padded fabric. Driade production 1979. G. Gramigna, 'Repertoire 1950-1980,' Mondadori, 1985, p. 467.

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Enzo Mari Sofas

Materials

Fabric, Wood

ENZO MARI  Sheep model sofa  Driade production 1979
ENZO MARI  Sheep model sofa  Driade production 1979

ENZO MARI Sheep model sofa Driade production 1979

Sold

H 25.6 in W 80.71 in D 31.5 in

ENZO MARI Sheep model sofa Driade production 1979

By Enzo Mari

Located in Vigevano, PV

Sheep model sofa. Turned wood, padded fabric. Driade production 1979. G. Gramigna, 'Repertoire 1950-1980,' Mondadori, 1985, p. 467.

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Enzo Mari Sofas

Materials

Fabric, Wood

Enzo Mari Gambadilegno Sofas Driade, Italy, 1974
Enzo Mari Gambadilegno Sofas Driade, Italy, 1974

Enzo Mari Gambadilegno Sofas Driade, Italy, 1974

Sold

H 27.56 in W 82.68 in D 37.41 in

Enzo Mari Gambadilegno Sofas Driade, Italy, 1974

By Enzo Mari, Driade

Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant

Playful and cosy Gambadilegno sofa's designed by Enzo Mari and manufactured by Driade, Italy 1974. These sofa's were made in very small production only and makes these very difficult...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Enzo Mari Sofas

Materials

Fabric, Pine

Enzo Mari sofas for sale on 1stDibs.

Enzo Mari sofas are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of steel and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Enzo Mari sofas, although gray editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 2 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 4 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original sofas by Enzo Mari were created in the modern style in italy during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider sofas by Officina Ciani, Kemistry of Style, and Marco Corti. Prices for Enzo Mari sofas can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $3,843 and can go as high as $10,010, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $6,800.