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Franco Albini Furniture

Italian, 1905-1977

While working under the polymath Gio Ponti — arguably the most important figure in 20th-century Italian modernism — furniture designer Franco Albini nurtured a love for modern forms combined with traditional craft techniques.

Albini is widely known for working with organic materials such as rattan and cane for his chairs and other seating, but he also played a pivotal role in the Italian rationalist movement of the early 20th century, which saw architects and furniture makers applying a strict emphasis on geometry in their work. Rationalists drew on Ancient Roman architecture but rejected ornament, much in the way that Le Corbusier and celebrated Bauhaus figures such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe had in their modernist furniture.

Albini received his degree in architecture from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1929, and, in 1931, he founded his practice in Milan, where he tackled workers’ housing and other reconstruction projects. A gifted urban planner, he also developed the Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Rosso and Tesoro di San Lorenzo museums in Genoa. While Albini is revered for his Margherita chair — a Triennale Milano award winner created for Bonacina in 1951 — he also collaborated with manufacturers Poggi and Cassina in the 1940s on seating, tables and more that embodied his artistic vision. Of that mid-century work, the one piece that perhaps best captures this vision is the iconic Luisa chair.

With its cherry red upholstery and sinuous wooden legs that seem to float aboveground, the Luisa is a genuine masterpiece. It is also a testament to Albini’s perfectionism, as it endured several prototypes — including one made by Knoll in the late 1940s — and took approximately 15 years to design. Poggi launched the final version of the armchair in 1955, earning Albini the prestigious Compasso d’Oro from Italy’s Association for Industrial Design. It is produced today by Cassina. Albini named the chair for someone who likely saw the process firsthand: his personal secretary of two decades, Luisa Colombini.

Find vintage Franco Albini furniture on 1stDibs.

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Style: Modern
Creator: Franco Albini
Pair of Cassina “Luisa” Dining Chairs by Franco Albini
By Franco Albini
Located in New York, NY
Original design by Franco Albini from the 1950s. Reissued by Cassina in the early 2000s. Elegant black leather chairs with floating back design and detailed joinery on the armrest...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Modern Franco Albini Furniture

Materials

Leather, Harewood

Knoll Albini Desk, Vintage 1990s Model
By Knoll, Franco Albini
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Knoll Albini Desk, Vintage 1990s Model A vintage 1990s Knoll Albini desk, a timeless piece of furniture that pays homage to the minimalist design ethos of Franco Albini's iconic 1928 desk. This 48-inch wide by 26-inch deep desk...
Category

Late 20th Century American Modern Franco Albini Furniture

Materials

Chrome

1952 Franco Albini for Knoll No. 48 Desk / Dining Chair w Arms Walnut and Fabric
By Franco Albini, Knoll
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is an exceptionally rare No. 48 desk/dining chair, designed by Franco Albini and produced by Knoll. This was one of Knoll's earliest designs an...
Category

1950s American Modern Vintage Franco Albini Furniture

Materials

Fabric, Walnut

Franco Albini Chair "47", 1949
By Franco Albini
Located in Berlin, DE
Elegant chair model "47" with renewed high quality woolen fabric, designed by Franco Albini in 1949 and manufactured by Knoll international, Belgium. Very elegant and rational design...
Category

1940s European Modern Vintage Franco Albini Furniture

Materials

Steel

Arflex Fiorenza Armchair in Steelcut Blue Fabric & Black Frame by Franco Albini
By Franco Albini, Arflex
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Symbol of comfort, Fiorenza armchair appears in Pirelli's 1950s advertisement as symbol of the foam rubber potential, considered at that time the mos...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Franco Albini Furniture

Materials

Fabric

Arflex Fiorenza Armchair in Steelcut Red Fabric and Black Frame by Franco Albini
By Franco Albini, Arflex
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Symbol of comfort, Fiorenza armchair appears in Pirelli's 1950s advertisement as symbol of the foam rubber potential, considered at that time the mos...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Franco Albini Furniture

Materials

Fabric

Ceiling Lamp by Franco Albini, 1955
By Murano 5, Franco Albini
Located in Berlin, DE
Pendant made of hand blown opal and flashed glass in warm gray. Metal mounting. Design: Venini Murano Dimensions: H. 23cm, ø 24,5cm Manufacturer: Venini Murano.    
Category

1950s Italian Modern Vintage Franco Albini Furniture

Materials

Metal

Midcentury AM/AS Table Lamp by Franco Albini for Sirrah, 1969
By Franco Albini
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Midcentury AM/AS table lamp by Franco Albini for Sirrah, 1969.
Category

1960s Italian Modern Vintage Franco Albini Furniture

Materials

Metal, Chrome

LB7, “Infinito” Bookcase by Franco Albini, Poggi
By Franco Albini
Located in Milano, Lombardia
In the LB7 library of the Poggi production (1956), we find all the principles long treated by Albini on the theme of the light upright, which in this modular syst...
Category

1950s Italian Modern Vintage Franco Albini Furniture

Materials

Wood

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Previously Available Items
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Rosewood Veneered Pair of Wall Units by Franco Alibini, 1958
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Early TL3 Dining Table by Franco Albini
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Early TL3 Dining Table by Franco Albini
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Franco Albini furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Franco Albini furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Franco Albini furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 173 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 21 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Franco Albini 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 furniture by Marco Zanuso, Paolo Buffa, and Arflex. Prices for Franco Albini furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $209 and can go as high as $58,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $5,981.

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