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 Midcentury Console Table in Bamboo and Rattan, Italy, 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful mid-century console table in curved bamboo, rattan and hand-woven wicker. This stunning organic piece was designed by the mastery of Franco Albini and produced in Italy dur...
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
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
On Hold|$2,177
H 30.32 in W 31.5 in D 12.41 in
Midcentury Rattan and Bamboo Console Table Franco Albini Style, Italy 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury wonderful console table in bamboo and rattan in the style of Franco Albini. Made in Italy in the 1960. Bamboo / rattan has been polished by a professional restorer.
Bamboo, Rattan, Wicker
$1,412
H 13.39 in W 25.6 in D 10.63 in
Midcentury Rattan & Bamboo Wall Shelf or Console Att. Franco Albini, Italy 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury amazing rectangular wall shelf or console in rattan and bamboo attributed to Franco Albini. Made in Italy in the 1960s.
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Midcentury Rattan and Bamboo Console Table, Italy 1970s
By Vivai del Sud
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury beautiful console table in rattan and bamboo. Made in Italy in the 1970s.
Bamboo, Wicker, Cane, Rattan
$3,013Sale Price|42% Off
H 31.5 in Dm 15.75 in
Franco Albini Cicognino Side Table in Wood by Poggi Pavia, 1970s Italy
By Franco Albini, Poggi
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
$4,002
H 31.7 in W 41.34 in D 17.33 in
Midcentury Audoux Minet Desk Console Table Rattan, Bamboo & Wood, Italy 1960s
By Adrien Audoux and Frida Minnet
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury amazing console table or desk table with sliding drawer in rattan, bamboo and wood in the style of Adrien Audoux and Frida Minnet. Made in Italy in the 1960s.
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan, Wood
Italian Designer Demilune Bamboo Rattan Console, 1960s
Located in Barcelona, ES
Eye-catching bamboo and rattan arched console table with. In the style of Franco Albini, Bonacina, Crespi and Vivai del Sud. Italy, 1960s. This co...
Bamboo, Rattan
$729
H 10.63 in W 17.33 in D 8.27 in
Midcentury Rattan & Bamboo Wall Shelf or Console Att. Franco Albini, Italy 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury beautiful rectangular wall shelf or console in rattan and bamboo attributed to Franco Albini. Made in Italy in the 1960s.
Bamboo, Rattan
$4,002
H 27.17 in W 26.38 in D 18.51 in
Wooden bar trolley ''CR20'' by Franco Albini for Poggi, Italy, 1958
By Franco Albini
Located in Argelato, BO
Rare "CR20" trolley in rosewood designed by the famous Italian architect and designer Franco Albini for the Poggi company, Italy. it is an authentic icon of style, which perfectly ...
Wood
$19,700
H 32.5 in W 59.13 in D 15.75 in
Italian Midcentury Steel, Brass and Glass Cantilevered Console, Franco Albini
By Franco Albini and Franca Helg
Located in New York, NY
Italian Mid-Century Modern enameled steel, brass and glass cantilevered console Attributed to Franco Albini and Franca Helg. The console / sofa table is elegantly conceived with a ba...
Brass, Steel
$1,765
H 28.35 in W 31.89 in D 16.15 in
Midcentury Console Table in Rattan and Bamboo Franco Albini Style, Italy 1970s
By Franco Albini
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury beautiful demilune console table in rattan and bamboo in the style of Franco Albini. Made in Italy in the 1970s.
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
$2,518
H 32.88 in W 35.04 in D 14.57 in
Midcentury Rattan and Bamboo Console Table Franco Albini Style, Italy 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury beautiful console table in rattan and bamboo featuring a lower shelf in the style of the Italian designer Franco Albini. Made in Italy in the 1960s.22
Bamboo, Wicker, Cane, Rattan
$823
H 9.65 in W 16.93 in D 8.86 in
Midcentury Rattan & Bamboo Wall Shelf or Console Att. Franco Albini, Italy 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury beautiful rectangular wall shelf or console in rattan and bamboo attributed to Franco Albini. Made in Italy in the 1960s.
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Sold
H 38.98 in W 40.16 in D 18.9 in
Italian Vanity or Console Table in Bamboo and Rattan by Vivai del Sud, 1970s
By Franco Albini
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful Mid-Century vanity or console table fully made in bamboo, rattan, hand-woven wicker, and brass. This stylish and unique piece was designed by Vivai del Sud and produced in ...
Brass
Sold
H 18.12 in W 31.89 in D 12.21 in
Franco Albini Set of Large Console and Mirror in Rattan and Bamboo, Italy, 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Roma, IT
Stunning and unique Mid-Century organic set composed of a large rectangular wall shelf or console and a round mirror, all handmade in curved rattan and bamboo. This stylish and disti...
Bamboo, Wicker, Cane, Rattan
Sold
H 31.89 in W 33.08 in D 14.97 in
Franco Albini Midcentury Console Table in Bamboo, Rattan and Wicker, Italy 1970s
By Franco Albini
Located in Roma, IT
Stunning mid-century console table fully made of bamboo, rattan, and hand-woven wicker. This delightful organic piece was designed by the mastery of Franco Albini and produced in Ita...
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan, Cane
Sold
H 32.29 in W 35.44 in D 17.33 in
Franco Albini Midcentury Wall Shelf or Console in Rattan and Bamboo, Italy, 1960
By Franco Albini
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful midcentury large wall shelf or console in curved bamboo, rattan and hand-woven wicker. This incredibly charming piece was designed by the mastery of Franco Albini and produ...
Bamboo, Wicker, Cane, Rattan
Sold
H 27.96 in W 70.87 in D 27.56 in
Franco Albini Midcentury Italian Wood ‘TL2’ Model Treste Table for Poggi, 1950s
By Poggi, Franco Albini
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Italian midcentury modern design trestle table model TL2 designed by Franco Albini and manufactured by Poggi, table designed according to structuralist criteria with solid wood trest...
Metal
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
Sold
H 11.82 in W 15.75 in D 9.06 in
Rattan Bedside Wall Mounted Table Shelf by Franco Albini, Italy, 1960s
By Franco Albini
Located in Rome, IT
Bedside wall-mounted shelf in rattan by the Italian designer Franco Albini. Made in Italy, circa 1960.
Bamboo, Wicker, Cane, Rattan