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Franco Albini Sideboards

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 Italian Midcentury Dark Wood Sideboard for Poggi, 1950s
By Franco Albini, Poggi
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Italian Mid-Century Modern design credenza sideboard designed by Franco Albini and produced by Poggi Pavia from 1958, four doors with sliding shelves and a pull-out shelf / tray, sol...
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1850s Italian Mid-Century Modern Antique Franco Albini Sideboards

Materials

Wood

Midcentury sideboard designed by Franco Albini for Poggi, Italy 1950
By Franco Albini, Poggi
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Elegant sideboard, model MB 51, designed by Franco Albini for Poggi Italy, 1950s Sophisticated and timeless, the MB 51 sideboard is an iconic piece designed by Franco Albini for the ...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Franco Albini Sideboards

Materials

Wood

Franco Albini, Mid-Century "MB15" sideboard for Poggi, Italy 1957
By Franco Albini, Poggi
Located in Argelato, BO
Franco Albini, MB15 pair of sideboards for Poggi, Italy, 1957 The MB15 sideboard by Franco Albini shown in the images feature a refined and understated design, typical of the Italia...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Franco Albini Sideboards

Materials

Wood

Franco Albini, Pair of Mid-Century "MB15" sideboards for Poggi, Italy 1957
By Franco Albini, Poggi
Located in Argelato, BO
Franco Albini, MB15 pair of sideboards for Poggi, Italy, 1957 The two MB15 sideboards by Franco Albini shown in the images feature a refined and understated design, typical of the I...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Franco Albini Sideboards

Materials

Wood

Mid-Century Modern Small Wooden Sideboard by Franco Albini, Italy, 1950s
By Franco Albini
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Small Wooden Sideboard by Franco Albini, Italy, 1950s
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Franco Albini Sideboards

Materials

Wood

Franco Albini, Pair of "MB15" sideboards for Poggi, Italy 1957
By Franco Albini
Located in Argelato, BO
Franco Albini, MB15 sideboard for Poggi, Italy 1957 The two cabinets are one of the most iconic and representative projects of the famous Italian architect and designer Franco Albin...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Franco Albini Sideboards

Materials

Wood

Franco Albini MB15 Large Sideboard with Four-Doors Panels in Wood by Poggi 1950s
By Poggi, Franco Albini
Located in Cascina, Pisa
MB15 large sideboard with four-door panels in wood, designed by Franco Albini in 1956 and produced by Poggi, Pavia. The MB15 sideboard showcases a clean and solid design characteriz...
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1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Franco Albini Sideboards

Materials

Wood

Italian Franco Albini for Poggi Sideboard
By Franco Albini, Poggi
Located in Hudson, NY
An Italian model MB 51 sideboard designed by Franco Albini for Poggi. Made of solid teak with a minimalist design and sharp lines.
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Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Franco Albini Sideboards

Materials

Teak

Sideboard with Bar Element by Franco Albini, Italy, 1930s
By Franco Albini
Located in Greding, DE
Large four-door sideboard designed by Franco Albini in the 1930s. The Art Deco sideboard is veneered on all sides and fitted with chrome half-moon handles and set off by means of ver...
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1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Franco Albini Sideboards

Materials

Maple

Mid-Century Modern Sideboard MB15 by Fanco Albini for Poggi, Italy, 1950s
By Franco Albini
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Sideboard MB15 by Fanco Albini for Poggi, Italy, 1950s
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1950s Vintage Franco Albini Sideboards

Materials

Wood

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Franco Albini sideboards for sale on 1stDibs.

Franco Albini sideboards 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 sideboards, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original sideboards 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 sideboards by Dassi Mobili Moderni, Dassi, and Saporiti Italia. Prices for Franco Albini sideboards can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $2,663 and can go as high as $12,800, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $9,623.

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