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Poltronova Benches

Poltronova is known for embracing the creativity that opposites can introduce to a space. Its radical modernist furniture and lighting fixtures are simultaneously grounded in classic aesthetics and inspired by what were then new and provocative artistic movements in mid-century Italy, when the company was founded. This tension resulted in unique and extraordinary pieces at the manufacturer, from eccentric, glove-shaped armchairs to striking dining tables that feature a mix of materials and textures.

Italian designer Sergio Cammilli founded Poltronova in Tuscany in 1957. That same year, it won the Compasso d’Oro for the Panchetto chair designed by Luciano Nustrini. Revolutionary Italian architect Ettore Sottsass — a maestro of postmodern design who would later establish the Memphis Group — came on board as an art director in 1958. Poltronova manufactured many of his furniture and ceramic designs. Sottsass’s lighting, seating and other works for Poltronova showcase the designer’s bold experimentation with solid wood, glass, metal and laminate materials.

Other established names in Italian furniture design collaborated with Poltronova’s Sottsass and Cammilli, including Giovanni Michelucci, Gae Aulenti and Angelo Mangiarotti. However, the company truly set itself apart in its collaborations with Superstudio and Archizoom Associati, groups that were part of an irreverent, avant-garde movement in art and design that took shape during the 1960s in Florence, Turin and Milan. Collectives associated with the movement — which would one day be called Italian Radical design — drew on Pop art and minimalism and explored working with unconventional materials to create colorful, quirky and uniquely shaped objects and furnishings. At the time, Poltronova also worked with up-and-coming names in the art world, like painter Max Ernst and sculptor Mario Ceroli.

Poltronova showcased its groundbreaking designs in many exhibitions, such as “La Casa Abitata,” which was held in Florence in 1965. At Milan's Eurodomus trade show in 1970, Poltronova debuted an entire bedroom collection designed by Sottsass — including his sensuous Ultrafragola mirror. The brand’s furnishings were included in a 1972 exhibition at New York’s Museum of Modern Art called "Italy: The New Domestic Landscape," and in 1977, Poltronova again won the Compasso d’Oro for a book called Fare Mobili con Poltronova (Making Furniture with Poltronova).

Poltronova's enduring and acclaimed furniture designs came to be loved far outside Italy. During the 1960s, importer Charles Stendig represented the company and helped introduce it to the American market.

In 2005, Poltronova established the Centro Studi Poltronova to recreate some of the company's iconic furniture. The brand has also recently collaborated with English architect Nigel Coates, who worked with a Poltronova master craftsman in Italy to design a series of limited-edition furniture in 2011, including the Domo chair.

On 1stDibs, find vintage Poltronova tables, seating, storage cabinets and more.

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Creator: Poltronova
Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova Italian Wood Midcentury Bench Consolle 1960s
Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova Italian Wood Midcentury Bench Consolle 1960s

Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova Italian Wood Midcentury Bench Consolle 1960s

By Poltronova, Giovanni Michelucci

Located in Reggio Emilia, IT

Italian midcentury modern design walnut bench or console table serie Torbecchia designed by Giovanni Michelucci and produced by Poltronova, Italy 1964. Fire-branded G. Michelucci tra...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Poltronova Benches

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Walnut

Poltronova CANTON Bench by Franco Raggi
Poltronova CANTON Bench by Franco Raggi

Poltronova CANTON Bench by Franco Raggi

$6,028Sale Price / item|20% Off

Poltronova CANTON Bench by Franco Raggi

By Poltronova, Franco Raggi

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Designed in 1967 by the Florentine Radical group Archizoom, this was the first sofa without a conventional frame. It is composed of two waves made from a polyurethane block cut into ...

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21st Century and Contemporary Italian Poltronova Benches

Materials

Wood

Giovanni Michelucci “Torbecchia” Solid Walnut Bench, 1960s
Giovanni Michelucci “Torbecchia” Solid Walnut Bench, 1960s

Giovanni Michelucci “Torbecchia” Solid Walnut Bench, 1960s

By Poltronova, Giovanni Michelucci

Located in Dronten, NL

A sculptural and profoundly architectural piece, this “Torbecchia” bench by Giovanni Michelucci exemplifies the masterful balance between craftsmanship and modernist form that define...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Poltronova Benches

Materials

Walnut

Midcentury pair of benches by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova, Italy, 1965
Midcentury pair of benches by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova, Italy, 1965

Midcentury pair of benches by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova, Italy, 1965

By Poltronova, Giovanni Michelucci

Located in Piacenza, Italy

Pair of walnut benches by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova, Italy, 1964 Designed by renowned Italian architect Giovanni Michelucci and produced by Poltronova in 1964, this rare pai...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Poltronova Benches

Materials

Wood, Walnut

Midcentury Giovanni Michelucci Torbecchia Bench in Walnut Poltronova Italy, 1964
Midcentury Giovanni Michelucci Torbecchia Bench in Walnut Poltronova Italy, 1964

Midcentury Giovanni Michelucci Torbecchia Bench in Walnut Poltronova Italy, 1964

By Poltronova, Giovanni Michelucci

Located in Almelo, NL

Midcentury Giovanni Michelucci Walnut Torbecchia Bench for Poltronova, Italy, 1964 The Torbecchia Walnut Bench, part of the Torbecchia series designed by Giovanni Michelucci for P...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Poltronova Benches

Materials

Walnut

Giovanni Michelucci 'Torbecchia' Dining Table and Bench for Poltronova, 1965
Giovanni Michelucci 'Torbecchia' Dining Table and Bench for Poltronova, 1965

Giovanni Michelucci 'Torbecchia' Dining Table and Bench for Poltronova, 1965

By Poltronova, Giovanni Michelucci

Located in Hellouw, NL

An architectural dining set with poetic tension, this 'Torbecchia' ensemble designed by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova in 1965 reveals a lesser-seen refinement within the brutali...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Poltronova Benches

Materials

Walnut

Wooden Bench Canton Model by Franco Raggi for Poltronova, Italy
Wooden Bench Canton Model by Franco Raggi for Poltronova, Italy

Wooden Bench Canton Model by Franco Raggi for Poltronova, Italy

By Franco Raggi, Poltronova

Located in Milan, Italy

The bench is in beech wood with a melemine edge and water-based paint. Canton wooden bench, designed by Franco Raggi in 1988, accompanied on the sides by two spaces, containers fo...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Poltronova Benches

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Beech

Midcentury Giovanni Michelucci Walnut Torbecchia Bench Poltronova Italy 1964
Midcentury Giovanni Michelucci Walnut Torbecchia Bench Poltronova Italy 1964

Midcentury Giovanni Michelucci Walnut Torbecchia Bench Poltronova Italy 1964

By Poltronova, Giovanni Michelucci

Located in Almelo, NL

Midcentury Giovanni Michelucci Walnut Torbecchia Bench for Poltronova Italy 1964 The Torbecchia Walnut Bench, part of the Torbecchia series designed by Giovanni Michelucci for Pol...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Poltronova Benches

Materials

Walnut

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Pair of Giovanni Michelucci Armchairs in Blue Velvet, Italy, 1940s
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Brutalist Solid Wood Bench, France 1960s
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Italian Walnut Sculptural Bench, circa 1950
Italian Walnut Sculptural Bench, circa 1950

Italian Walnut Sculptural Bench, circa 1950

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H 17 in W 55 in D 20 in

Italian Walnut Sculptural Bench, circa 1950

Located in New York, NY

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Pair of Billy Baldwin Style Midcentury X-Form Benches
Pair of Billy Baldwin Style Midcentury X-Form Benches

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Previously Available Items
'Torbecchia' bench by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova Anni 70s
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Bench, walnut veneer wood. Good conditions.

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Bench, Walnut Veneer, 1970s G. Michelucci, Poltronova
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Sold

H 15.75 in W 72.45 in D 15.95 in

Bench, Walnut Veneer, 1970s G. Michelucci, Poltronova

By Giovanni Michelucci, Poltronova

Located in Milano, IT

Bench; walnut veneered wood. Good conditions, shows small signs of wear.

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Poltronova benches for sale on 1stDibs.

Poltronova benches 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 Poltronova benches, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 7 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 1 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original benches by Poltronova 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 benches by Giovanni Michelucci, Ico Parisi, and Pierre Jeanneret. Prices for Poltronova benches can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $2,750 and can go as high as $6,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,450.

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