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Gae Aulenti Armchairs

Italian, 1927-2012

The Italian architect and designer Gae Aulenti will forever be best remembered for her work with museums, in particular her 1980–86 renovation of a Beaux Arts Paris train station to create the galleries of the Musée d’Orsay. Aulenti — whose first name, short for Gaetana, is pronounced “guy” — should also be recalled for her tough intellectual spirit and for working steadily when few women found successful architectural careers in postwar Italy.

After she graduated from the Milan Polytechic in 1954, Aulenti opened an architectural office. She also joined the staff of the progressive architectural magazine Casabella, whose editorial line was that the establishment, orthodox modernism of Le Corbusier and the Bauhaus, had outlived it usefulness. When their movement for fresh approaches to architecture and design received a sympathetic hearing, Aulenti found patrons — most prominently Gianni Agnelli, of Fiat, who later employed her to renovate the Palazzo Grassi in Venice for use as an arts exhibition space.

Commissions for showrooms and other corporate spaces brought Aulenti to furniture design. She felt that furniture should never dominate a room. Her chairs and sofas — low-slung, with rounded enameled metal frames and ample seats — and tables, particularly her 1972 marble Jumbo coffee table for Knoll, project solidity and sturdiness. In lighting design, however, Aulenti is bravura.

Each work has a marvelous sculptural presence. Pieces such as her Pipistrello table lamp and Quadrifoglio pendant are a perfect marriage of organically shaped glass and high-tech fixtures. Others have a futuristic elegance — and some even have a touch of personality. Aulenti’s Pileino and La Ruspa table lamps each look almost like little robots. Her lighting pieces are an artful grace note in the career of a woman who believed in strength.

Find vintage Gae Aulenti armchairs, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Gae Aulenti
Locus Solus armchair by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, 1964
Locus Solus armchair by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, 1964

Locus Solus armchair by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, 1964

By Gae Aulenti

Located in Arezzo, Italy

Locus Solus armchair designed by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova 1964. A first production in excellent condition, restored. Structure in painted metal,...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gae Aulenti Armchairs

Materials

Iron

Orsay Armchairs by Gae Aulenti for Knoll, White Leather, Italy, 1975
Orsay Armchairs by Gae Aulenti for Knoll, White Leather, Italy, 1975

Orsay Armchairs by Gae Aulenti for Knoll, White Leather, Italy, 1975

By Knoll, Gae Aulenti

Located in Berlin, DE

Pair of Orsay armchairs by Gae Aulenti for Knoll, 1975. Made of white leather and lacquered steel, these chairs feature a bold, curved design. They remain in their original vintage c...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gae Aulenti Armchairs

Materials

Steel

L54 pair of armchairs by Gae Aulenti for Knoll
L54 pair of armchairs by Gae Aulenti for Knoll

L54 pair of armchairs by Gae Aulenti for Knoll

By Gae Aulenti, Knoll

Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest

Pair of Gae Aulenti model 54L design armchairs for Knoll international. Beautiful timeless design armchairs with black lacquered metal frames and orange/red fabric upholstery. The ...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gae Aulenti Armchairs

Materials

Metal

5x Original Locus Solus Stühle Poltronova Gae Aulenti Metall design
5x Original Locus Solus Stühle Poltronova Gae Aulenti Metall design

5x Original Locus Solus Stühle Poltronova Gae Aulenti Metall design

By Poltronova, Gae Aulenti

Located in Berlin, DE

Wir bieten einen von fünf wunderschönen und sehr seltenen Armlehnstühlen des italienischen Traditionsherstellers Poltronova aus den 1960er Jahren zum Verkauf an. Das Design stammt vo...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gae Aulenti Armchairs

Materials

Metal

Set of 2 blue 4794 armchairs, Gae Aulenti, Kartell space age plastic 1970s
Set of 2 blue 4794 armchairs, Gae Aulenti, Kartell space age plastic 1970s

Set of 2 blue 4794 armchairs, Gae Aulenti, Kartell space age plastic 1970s

By Gae Aulenti, Kartell

Located in Milano, Lombardia

Designed by Gae Aulenti for Kartell, the model 4794 armchairs represent one of his most famous forays into industrial design. Made entirely of lacquered foam plastic, these seats are...

Category

1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Gae Aulenti Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

Pair of Gae Aulenti '54L' Armchairs for Knoll International in Beige Leather
Pair of Gae Aulenti '54L' Armchairs for Knoll International in Beige Leather

Pair of Gae Aulenti '54L' Armchairs for Knoll International in Beige Leather

By Knoll, Gae Aulenti

Located in Zagreb, HR

Exceptionally rare and collectible, armchairs, model ’54L’ designed by Gae Aulenti for Knoll International. Late 1970s production in beige leather and white metal. Iconic design of ...

Category

1970s European Modern Vintage Gae Aulenti Armchairs

Materials

Metal

"La Stringa" by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova Sofa of Two Armchairs 1960s
"La Stringa" by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova Sofa of Two Armchairs 1960s

"La Stringa" by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova Sofa of Two Armchairs 1960s

By Poltronova, Gae Aulenti

Located in Byron Bay, NSW

"Stringa" sofa designed by Gae Aulenti for Poltranova in 1962. A tubular chrome frame holds leather seats on top of felt upholstered cushions. The leather cushions are attached wi...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gae Aulenti Armchairs

Materials

Chrome

Arcata Easy Chairs by Gae Aulenti in Walnut and Burgundy Leather, Italy, 1968
Arcata Easy Chairs by Gae Aulenti in Walnut and Burgundy Leather, Italy, 1968

Arcata Easy Chairs by Gae Aulenti in Walnut and Burgundy Leather, Italy, 1968

By Gae Aulenti, Poltronova

Located in Antwerp, BE

Gae Aulenti; Easy Chairs; Armchairs; Arcata; Poltronova; Italian Design; Italy; 1968; Walnut; Burgundy Leather; Mid-Century Modern; Gae Aulenti Arcata...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gae Aulenti Armchairs

Materials

Leather, Walnut

Mid-Century Arcata Armchair by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, 1960s
Mid-Century Arcata Armchair by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, 1960s

Mid-Century Arcata Armchair by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, 1960s

By Gae Aulenti

Located in Brussels, BE

Mid-Century Arcata Armchair by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, 1960s

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Gae Aulenti Armchairs

Materials

Wood

4794 armchair by Gae Aulenti for Kartell
4794 armchair by Gae Aulenti for Kartell

4794 armchair by Gae Aulenti for Kartell

By Gae Aulenti

Located in GRENOBLE, FR

Model 4794 armchair by Gae Aulenti for Kartell and dating from the 1970s. Structure in black lacquered polyurethane. Traces of use, particularly on the seats. The condition is simila...

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Gae Aulenti Armchairs

Materials

Plastic

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Located in Vicenza, IT

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Gae Aulenti, chrome steel armchairs
Gae Aulenti, chrome steel armchairs

Gae Aulenti, chrome steel armchairs

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Located in Saint ouen, FR

Gae Aulenti, orange lacquered steel armchairs (one pair available) Dimensions: length 53 cm (20,9 inches) x width 56 cm (22 inches) x height 68 cm (27,8 inches) material : steel painted in epoxy (treated for outdoor use) Very good condition This pair of armchairs is from a very limited re-edition (150 numbered copies) of an extremely rare model that Gae Aulenti designed in 1969 for the french brand Prisunic This limited edition was made during the commemoration of Prisunic and the exhibition the Musée des arts décoratifs de Paris (MAD) devoted to Prisunic in 2021. Prisunic was a very famous brand in the 60's and 70's, and produced furniture with great designers such as Gae Aulenti and Marc Held. In France, Prisunic participated in the space age design movement. With Gio Ponti, Piero Fornasetti, Ettore Sottsass, Gabriella Crespi and Joe Colombo, Gae Aulenti is one of the most famous Italian designers. She is best known for her Pipistrello lamp, her Locus Solus series made with Poltronova, her furniture for Knoll and her design of important museums like Orsay. Please note that the matching garden table and stools...

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Gae Aulenti armchairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Gae Aulenti armchairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Gae Aulenti armchairs, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 10 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 3 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original armchairs by Gae Aulenti were created in the mid-century modern style in italy during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider armchairs by Tobia Scarpa, Eugenio Gerli, and Bonacina. Prices for Gae Aulenti armchairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $2,400 and can go as high as $13,009, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,970.