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.
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...
Fabric, Walnut
$3,000
H 30 in W 22 in D 19.5 in
George Nakashima N19 Side Chair for Knoll, Walnut, Mid-Century Modern
By Knoll, George Nakashima
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designed by master craftsman George Nakashima for Knoll in 1946, the N19 chair was intended as a mass-produced counterpoint to the Nakashima Studio’s popular “Straight Chair...
Walnut
Pair of Jens Risom 666 Side Chairs for Knoll
By Jens Risom, Knoll
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare Jens Risom chairs made in the 1940s, model “666” of the 600 series from 1941.
Birch
$6,616 / item
H 40.56 in W 28.75 in D 37.8 in
Franco Albini 'Fiorenza' Lounge Chair with Ottoman for Arflex 1952
By Franco Albini
Located in Tilburg, NL
Franco Albini 'Fiorenza' Lounge Chair with Ottoman for Arflex, designed in 1952. Italy. New, current production. Symbol of comfort, Fiorenza armchair appears in Pirelli's 1950s adv...
Fabric, Wood
Donald Knorr Chair for Knoll Associates, 1948
By Knoll, Donald Knorr
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
For your consideration to of six Knorr chairs. Comprised of sheet metal bolted to steel rod legs. This chair is exceptionally rare (a set of six in simply unheard of) Model #132 cha...
Metal
$2,240Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 30.25 in W 21 in D 20.5 in
Set of 6 Harry Bertoia for Knoll International Black Wire Dining Chairs, 1970s
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This set of six wire dining chairs, designed by Harry Bertoia for Knoll, represents one of the most iconic and enduring designs of mid-century modern furniture. Introduced in the ear...
Metal
Set of Four Chrome Dining Chairs by Bertoia for Knoll
By Knoll, Harry Bertoia
Located in New York, NY
Set of matching Bertoia side, or dining, chairs in chrome with original white pad seat covers. This nice set is in very fine, original, clean and ready to use condition, the only cav...
Chrome
$12,447
H 40.56 in W 28.75 in D 31.5 in
Armchair "Fiorenza" designed by Franco Albini in 1952 for Arflex, Italy.
By Arflex, Franco Albini
Located in Wolfurt, AT
Armchair "Fiorenza," designed by Franco Albini in 1952 for Arflex, Italy. A highly collectible model produced for only one year by Arflex. This stunning pair of armchairs features sc...
Fabric, Wood
Eero Saarinen Executive Side Chair For Knoll
By Eero Saarinen, Knoll
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Executive side chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll features green print, linen blend upholstery with chrome legs. This iconic chair is extremely comfortable and is the epitome of mid-ce...
Chrome
$1,007
H 36.62 in W 24.81 in D 44.89 in
Franco Albini Style Mid-Century Bent Bamboo and Rattan Rocking Lounge Chair
By Franco Albini
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Franco Albini style vintage mid-century bent bamboo & rattan high backed rocking or lounge chair. Beautiful design - very 1960s / 1970s and would make a lovely addition to any home, ...
Bamboo, Rattan
$7,600Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 32.75 in W 22.5 in D 20.5 in
Set of 6 Gae Aulenti for Knoll International 'Orsay' Dining Chairs 1984, Signed
By Gae Aulenti, Knoll
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This striking set of six (6) 'Orsay' dining chairs was designed by Gae Aulenti for Knoll International, one of the most respected producers of modern design in the twentieth century....
Steel
$1,400Sale Price / set|30% Off
H 32.25 in W 26 in D 24 in
Ettore Sottsass “Mandarin” Black Eco Leather Dining Chairs for Knoll, a Pair
By Ettore Sottsass, Knoll
Located in Miami, FL
Memphis Postmodern Mandarin chairs rendered in black lacquered steel frame with black Naugahyde cushioned seats designed by Ettore Sottsass for Knoll.
Steel
$3,380 / item
H 35.5 in W 20 in D 19 in
Dining Chair in Solid Walnut with Leather and Fabric Upholstered Seat
By Jacques Adnet
Located in Ballard, CA
The solid walnut classic French dining and desk chair is handcrafted with traditional joinery. The upholstery features a combination of leather and fabric and is an homage to 1940s F...
Leather, Upholstery, Walnut
Sold
H 30.5 in W 22 in D 23 in
Franco Albini for Knoll Model 48 Chairs in Calfskin and Isabel Marant Silk Wool
By Knoll, Franco Albini
Located in SAINT LOUIS, MO
We are serious fangirls of Isabel Marant. Who isn't. From Vogue, "Isabel Marant might be the number one whisperer of Parisian girl cool, largely thanks to her nomadic style impulses. Well-traveled and curious, she’s been assembling references from far-flung corners of the world for decades." Marant's Autumn Winter 2018 collection drew inspiration from the American West. Right up our alley. Marant saying "it was about looking at a modern interpretation of the Classic Western.” When we saw her oversize, thick, silk wool, striped scarves...
Cowhide, Wool, Walnut
Sold
H 38.98 in W 27.96 in D 32.68 in
Italian Rattan Margherita Armchair by Franco Albini for Vittorio Bonacina, 1951
By Franco Albini
Located in Varese, Lombardia
This wicker armchair, "Margherita", was designed by Franco Albini and manufactured by Vittorio Bonacina in Italy. This model seems to be quite rare: it doesn't feature the headrest (...
Wicker, Rattan
Rattan Bucket Chairs by Franco Albini for Vittorio Bonacina
By Vittorio Bonacina, Franco Albini
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Beautiful pair of rattan chairs by Franco Albini for Vittorio Bonacina. Bucket shape with small scoop seats. Airy and aesthetically pleasing design. Great looping rattan detailing ar...
Rattan, Fabric