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Franco Albini Rocking Chairs

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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Creator: Franco Albini
Franco Albini, Early Rocking "PS16" Chaise Lounge, Sycamore, 1960s, Poggi, Italy
Franco Albini, Early Rocking "PS16" Chaise Lounge, Sycamore, 1960s, Poggi, Italy

Franco Albini, Early Rocking "PS16" Chaise Lounge, Sycamore, 1960s, Poggi, Italy

By Franco Albini, Poggi

Located in High Point, NC

A rare and early "PS16", cotton, cord and sycamore rocking chaise lounge designed by Franco Albini and produced by Poggi, Italy, 1950s-1960s. Wear consistent with age and use.  Pr...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Franco Albini Rocking Chairs

Materials

Cotton, Cord, Sycamore

Mid Century Franco Albini Bent Bamboo and Rattan Rocking Chair, Italy 1950's
Mid Century Franco Albini Bent Bamboo and Rattan Rocking Chair, Italy 1950's

Mid Century Franco Albini Bent Bamboo and Rattan Rocking Chair, Italy 1950's

By Franco Albini

Located in London, GB

This iconic Albini piece has all the aspects of beautiful Italian design sensibility of good taste and great form making the material create a form that is both beautiful and light i...

Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Franco Albini Rocking Chairs

Materials

Bamboo, Cane

Franco Albini, Bamboo Rocking Chair, Italy 1950's
Franco Albini, Bamboo Rocking Chair, Italy 1950's

Franco Albini, Bamboo Rocking Chair, Italy 1950's

By Franco Albini

Located in London, GB

Italian designer Franco Albini specialised in the charming and beautiful in design, his take on bamboo furniture design was innovative and filled with style as in this example of a 1...

Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Franco Albini Rocking Chairs

Materials

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Red Rocking Chair Canapo by Franco Albini for Cassina, Italy
Red Rocking Chair Canapo by Franco Albini for Cassina, Italy

Red Rocking Chair Canapo by Franco Albini for Cassina, Italy

By Franco Albini

Located in Brussels, BE

Red Rocking Chair Canapo by Franco Albini for Cassina, Italy

Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Franco Albini Rocking Chairs

Materials

Wood

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Franco Albini rocking chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Franco Albini rocking chairs 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 rocking chairs, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original rocking chairs by Franco Albini were created in the mid-century modern style in italy during the mid-20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider rocking chairs by Renato Zevi, Gae Aulenti, and Guido Faleschini. Prices for Franco Albini rocking chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $995 and can go as high as $38,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $20,006.