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.
Italian Riviera 1960's Rattan Oval Mirror by Franco Albini
By Franco Albini
Located in New York, NY
Italian Riviera original hand woven oval rattan mirror with burgundy velvet backing. Designed by Franco Albini, c. 1960's, mage in Italy. Rosenthal Netter label on verso, who was an ...
Rattan, Mirror
Franco Albini 1950 Woven Bamboo Wall Mirror
By Franco Albini
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Elegant and distinctive woven mirror made of Italian Bamboo pith from the 1950s designed by famous Architect Franco Albini.
Bamboo
Franco Albini Style Bamboo Rattan Wall Mirror with Arched Top
By Franco Albini
Located in Barcelona, ES
Eye-catching Mid-Century Modern Franco Albini style handcrafted bamboo and rattan mirror with arched top. This mirror features a double bamboo f...
Bamboo, Rattan, Cane
$3,173
H 26.97 in W 18.35 in D 1.78 in
Italian Riviera Franco Albini Oval Wall Mirror in Rattan, Loop Design, 1950s
By Franco Albini
Located in Barcelona, ES
Italian Midcentury Franco Albini Rattan Oval Mirror, 1950s ___________________________________________________________ A highly decorative Mid-Century Mo...
Bamboo, Cane, Rattan, Mirror
$2,294
H 24.41 in W 24.41 in D 1.97 in
Italian Riviera Coastal Rattan Bamboo Wicker Wire Octagonal Wall Mirror, 1960s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Octagonal mirror with thick bamboo frame and woven wicker, Italy, 1960-1970. Elegant mid-20th century woven rattan and bamboo wall mirror in octagon shape. This beautiful mirror double framed...
Wicker, Cane, Rattan, Mirror, Bamboo
1960s Rattan and Bamboo Round Wall Mirror by Franco Albini
By Franco Albini
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
This very decorative mirror was made in Italy in 1960s. It is typical of this period design and is all original. It was all handcrafted and is in perfect condition. It has got a beau...
Bamboo, Rattan, Mirror
$2,647
H 18.12 in W 18.12 in D 1.38 in
Italian Riviera Franco Albini Rattan Square Sunburst Mirror, Loop Design, 1950s
By Franco Albini
Located in Barcelona, ES
Midcentury Franco Albini Rattan Mirror ___________________________________________________________ A highly decorative squared Mid-Century Modern ...
Cane, Rattan, Mirror
$1,175
H 23.04 in W 17.92 in D 1.19 in
Midcentury Rattan and Bamboo Oval Wall Mirror Franco Albini Style, Italy 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury beautiful oval wall mirror in bamboo and rattan in the style of Franco Albini. Made in Italy in the 1960s. A highly decorative bamboo and rattan mirror with the ta...
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan, Mirror
$1,376
H 24.61 in W 15.75 in D 1.38 in
Midcentury Rattan and Bamboo Oval Wall Mirror Franco Albini Style, Italy 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury beautiful oval wall mirror in bamboo and rattan in the style of Franco Albini. Made in Italy in the 1960s. A highly decorative bamboo and rattan mirror with the ta...
Bamboo, Rattan, Mirror
$1,176
H 22.84 in W 18.12 in D 1.38 in
Midcentury Rattan and Bamboo Oval Wall Mirror Franco Albini Style, Italy 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury beautiful oval wall mirror in bamboo and rattan in the style of Franco Albini. Made in Italy in the 1960s. A highly decorative bamboo and rattan mirror with the ta...
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan, Mirror
$1,494
H 25.2 in W 16.93 in D 1.42 in
Midcentury Rattan and Bamboo Oval Wall Mirror Franco Albini Style, Italy 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury beautiful oval wall mirror in bamboo and rattan in the style of Franco Albini. Made in Italy in the 1960s. A highly decorative bamboo and rattan mirror with the ta...
Bamboo, Rattan, Mirror
$1,222
H 0.99 in Dm 20.87 in
Franco Albini French Riviera Round Mirror in Bamboo, Rattan, Wicker, Italy 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Roma, IT
Marvelous French Riviera style round mirror in bamboo, curved rattan and hand-woven wicker. This charming mirror was designed by Franco Albini and produced in Italy during the 1960s....
Bamboo, Mirror, Rattan, Wicker
$1,494
H 32.49 in W 17.33 in D 1.38 in
Midcentury Rattan and Bamboo Oval Wall Mirror Franco Albini Style, Italy 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury beautiful oval wall mirror with chain in bamboo and rattan in the style of Franco Albini. Made in Italy in the 1960s. A highly decorative mirror. Dimensions witho...
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan, Mirror
Mid-Century Italian Rattan And Bamboo Mirror by Franco albini 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Palermo, IT
Mid-century Italian rattan and bamboo mirror by Franco albini 1960s Intact and in good condition. Found in a villa on the Amalfi coast.
Bamboo, Rattan, Mirror
Specchio Ovale in Bambù intrecciato Franco Albini 1950
By Franco Albini
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Specchio in bambù intrecciato Italia 1950 Design Franco Albini
Bamboo