Gianfranco Frattini is widely regarded as a mid-century master of Italian modern design. He was an award-winning architect and designer, and specialized in creating furniture and decor that is both decorative and practical — Frattini’s vintage desks, armchairs, nesting tables and other works are celebrated for their sophisticated merging of function and form.
Born in Padua in 1926, Frattini studied architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan. He later apprenticed with his teacher and mentor, Gio Ponti. Through Ponti — arguably the most important figure in 20th-century Italian architecture and design — Frattini met many notable modernist designers such as Oscar Niemeyer and Le Corbusier, but an introduction to famed Italian entrepreneur Cesare Cassina would prove incredibly significant in helping launch his career.
During the mid-1950s, Frattini began to collaborate with Cassina’s eponymous company. He designed the brand’s acclaimed leather and walnut Model 849 lounge chair — a winner of the Compasso d’Oro award — the Marema nesting tables and the iconic Sesann collection. The latter, an enduring 1970s suite of impossibly welcoming leather-covered seating, is now produced by Tacchini. In addition to Cassina, Frattini created furniture and lighting for other manufacturers such as Bernini, Arteluce, Artemide, Knoll and more.
While many of his designs incorporate glass, tubular steel and other materials, Frattini loved working with wood. The sculptural Albero bookcase — an innovative floor-to-ceiling structure made in walnut that swings on a 360-degree vertical swivel axis — is a striking example of Frattini’s dedication to traditional woodworking techniques. In the early 1970s, he traveled to Japan with friend and collaborator Pierluigi Ghianda — a master Milanese cabinet maker — in order to study the work of artisans in Kyoto. The trip inspired his design of the Kyoto table, a work of solid beech with Canaletto walnut inserts that is part of the permanent collection of the Milan Triennale’s Design Museum. The Kyoto and Albero have been revived by Poltrona Frau.
Frattini’s designs are in the permanent collections of prestigious museums such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
Find vintage Gianfranco Frattini furniture, lighting and decor on 1stDibs.
Pair of Gianfranco Frattini Model 877 Wing Chairs, Cassina, white boucle C. 1957
By Gianfranco Frattini, Cassina
Located in Dublin 8, IE
Presented here we have a stunning pair of 1957 Gianfranco Frattini Model 877 Wing Armchairs made by Cassina. The chairs have been fully refurbished and are now presented in a modern ...
Bouclé, Walnut
$5,207 / set
H 30.71 in W 17.72 in D 16.15 in
Six Dining Chairs "Model 101", by Gianfranco Frattini For Cassina, Italy 1960s
By Gianfranco Frattini, Cassina
Located in Wolfurt, AT
Set of six Italian dining chairs, model 101, designed by Gianfranco Frattini in the 1960s and manufactured by Cassina. Fine rosewood combined with mint-colored fabric upholstery by L...
Fabric, Wood
$15,200
H 27.56 in W 94.49 in D 35.44 in
Gianfranco Frattini “Sesann” Sofa for Cassina, Cognac Leather, 1969
By Gianfranco Frattini, Cassina
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Gianfranco Frattini “Sesann” Sofa for Cassina, cognac leather, Italy, 1969 Designed in 1969 by Gianfranco Frattini, the Sesann collection marked a turning point in upholstered furni...
Leather
$5,858 / set
H 29.93 in W 17.72 in D 18.12 in
Model 101 dining chairs by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, Italy, 1960s, 10 pcs
By Cassina, Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Diest, BE
Great set of 10 Model 101 dining chairs by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, Italy, 1960s. Overall good vintage condition. Some chairs have scratches on the seat and wood. Literature...
Wood
$4,888 / set
H 32.68 in W 20.87 in D 17.72 in
6 walnut chairs, Model 104, by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, Italy, 1960s.
By Gianfranco Frattini
Located in MADRID, ES
6 walnut chairs Model 104 by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, Italy, 1960s. Set of 6 upholstered in Namay Samay fabric. Gianfranco Frattini was an architect and designer of furnitur...
Walnut
Chair by Gianfranco Frattini, 1960
By Gianfranco Frattini, Cassina
Located in Berlin, DE
This extraordinary chair was designed by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina 1960. The construction of the 'Model 904' is made of solid walnut wood. The seat and back are upholstered. Th...
Wool, Walnut
$13,315Sale Price / set|25% Off
H 102 in W 83 in D 93 in
Gianfranco Frattini, Rare Pair of Wingback Armchairs Model 877 (First Edition)
By Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Argelato, BO
Rare pair of Wingback armchairs from an important chalet in the Italian Alps. Designed by the Italian Architect Gianfranco Frattini for the Cassina company in 1959. The fabric, in ex...
Fabric, Wood
Mid-Century Modern Armchair 877 by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina
By Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Armchair 877 by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, New Beige Upholstery
Fabric, Wood
$8,285
H 27.56 in W 40.01 in D 39.38 in
Gianfranco Frattini Brown Alpaca Velvet Sesann Lounge Chair for Cassina, 1972
By Gianfranco Frattini, Cassina
Located in Vicenza, IT
The Sesann lounge chair was designed by Gianfranco Frattini in 1970 and produced by the Italian manufacturer Cassina. This lounge chair features a chocolate brown alpaca velvet upho...
Chrome
$4,734
H 26.78 in W 41.34 in D 37.41 in
Iconic Sesann Lounge Chair by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, 1970s
By Gianfranco Frattini, Cassina
Located in Boom, Vlaams Gewest
Iconic Sesann lounge chair designed by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina in the 1970s. A true statement piece, this design is instantly recognizable for its bold, sculptural form and t...
Aluminum
Sofa "Sesann" by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, 1970s
By Gianfranco Frattini, Cassina
Located in bruxelles, BE
Sofa in pink fabric and metal, model: Sesann by Gianfranco Frattini. Seat height: 34 cm. Stamped Cassina on the underside. Wear due to time and age of the sofa. For shipping, reque...
Metal
Cassina Sesann Lounge Chair by Gianfranco Frattini, Italy, 1970s
By Gianfranco Frattini, Cassina
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sesann lounge chair designed by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, produced in Italy, 1970s. A signature postmodern silhouette with generous proportions, low profile, and sculptural ar...
Leather
Gianfranco Frattini, Wingback Armchair Model 877, Cassina 1959
By Gianfranco Frattini, Cassina
Located in Argelato, BO
Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, lounge chair, model 877, fabric, teak, Italy, 1959 This grand lounge chair is based on a solid construction, featuring strict lines and angular shap...
Fabric, Wood
Wing Chair 'Modell 877' Gianfranco Frattini 1957
By Gianfranco Frattini, Figli di Amadeo Cassina
Located in Berlin, DE
This high quality made wing chair with high back and beautiful details was designed by Gianfranco Frattini in 1957 and is known as model 877. The construction is made of walnut wood,...
Leather, Walnut
Rare Armchair #877 Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina
By Gianfranco Frattini, Cassina
Located in New York, NY
Great architectural lounge chair in dark wood base. Modernist wingback form with great details. The last image is a period ad from Rivista dell'Arredamento, Nov. 1961.
Very Rare Wingback Chair
By Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Munich, DE
by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina / Model 877. located in hamburg.