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.
Franco Albini Cicognino Coffee Table in Teak Wood by Poggi Pavia 1970s Italy
By Franco Albini, Poggi
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Cicognino coffee table entirely made in teak wood designed by Franco Albini in 1952 and firstly produced by the Italian company, Poggi Pavia from the 1950s. The Cicognino coffee t...
Teak
$3,045Sale Price|42% Off
H 31.5 in Dm 15.75 in
Franco Albini Cicognino Side Table in Wood by Poggi Pavia, 1970s Italy
By Poggi, Franco Albini
Located in Brescia, Brescia
This exquisite Cicognino side table, designed by Franco Albini and produced by Poggi Pavia in the 1970s, is a timeless piece of Italian design. Crafted from high-quality wood, this t...
Wood, Teak
$1,427 / item
H 31.5 in W 15.75 in D 16.15 in
Franco Albini Cicognino Wood Side Table for Cassina, Italy, new
By Franco Albini, Cassina
Located in Berlin, DE
Prices vary dependent on the material of the table. Available in Canaletto Walnut, Natural Ash, Black Stained Ash or Amaranth stained ash. Side table designed by Franco Albini in 1...
Wood
Franco Albini Library “Poggi” Wood Metal Iron, 1955, Italy
By Franco Albini
Located in Milano, IT
Franco Albini Library “Poggi” wood metal iron, 1955, Italy.
Wood
Cavalletto Dining or Working Table by Franco Albini for Poggi
By Poggi, Franco Albini
Located in Barcelona, ES
Cavalletto or TL2 dining or working table designed in 1950 by italian architect Franco Albini, old Poggi edition. Wood construction with beveled edges tabletop and crossed legs with ...
Metal
Franco Albini Cicognino Wood Side Table by Cassina
By Franco Albini, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Side table designed by Franco Albini in 1953. Relaunched in 2008. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. Dubbed Cicognino, or “little stork”, this iconic design, is clean-cut and refi...
Wood
Franco Albini TL22 wooden desk by Poggi Pavia, Italy, 1950s
By Franco Albini, Poggi
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
Desk with shaped top from the "TL 22" series, wooden structure, italian manufacture from the 1950s, crafted by Poggi and designed by Franco Albini. This office desk stands out with ...
Wood
$1,962
H 23.63 in W 27.56 in D 27.56 in
Italian Rainbow Rattan 'Emmanuelle' Peacock Coffee Table, 1970s
Located in Hastings, GB
An absolutely beautiful hand woven 'Emmanuelle' Peacock rattan coffee or centre table, made in Italy in the 1970's each piece of rattan has been individ...
Rattan
$13,450
H 28.55 in W 70.87 in D 27.96 in
Rare Mahogany 'TL2' Cavalletto Table / Desk by Franco Albini for Poggi, Italy
By Franco Albini, Poggi
Located in London, GB
A rare mahogany version of the Cavaletto or TL2 table designed by the great neo-rationalist designer, Franco Albini. Designed in 1950 for manufacturers Poggi...
Steel
Midcentury Bamboo Table in the Style of Franco Albini, Italy
By Franco Albini
Located in Albano Laziale, Rome/Lazio
A square bamboo coffee table in the style of Franco Albini, Italy. The chairs are in very good condition and functions well.
Bamboo
$2,421Sale Price|20% Off
H 15.75 in W 31.11 in D 18.9 in
Rattan Bamboo Rectangular Coffee Table in the Style of Franco Albini
By Franco Albini
Located in Barcelona, ES
Eye-catching Mid-Century Modern rectangular side table / coffee table handcrafted in bamboo and rattan. Italy, 1950s-1960s. The top is made of rattan canes with bamboo canes as main structure. Clean design, elegant from all sides. This Franco Albini style coffee table...
Bamboo, Cane, Rattan
$997
H 11.82 in W 35.44 in D 35.44 in
Coffee or Center Table in Pine Wood and Laminate, France, 1970's
Located in Barcelona, ES
Coffee or center table from 1970's, France. Solid construction in pine wood with four panels in black laminate.
Laminate, Wood, Pine
Vladimir Kagan Wood and Stainless Steel Coffee Table, 1970s
By Vladimir Kagan
Located in Miami, FL
A wood table with chunky mirror polished stainless steel legs. The top has a subtle but beautiful grain pattern. Re-finished in light ebony.
Stainless Steel