From his early start at his father’s boutique furniture and cabinetry atelier — Arredamenti Borsani (ABV) — Italian designer Osvaldo Borsani began to steadily dream to life the movement-inducing pieces that would eventually lead to him founding his innovative furniture company, Tecno, with his twin brother, Fulgenzio.
Born in the commune of Varedo in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, Borsani studied at the Brera Academy in Milan — the same school attended by such luminaries as designer Piero Fornasetti and artist Lucio Fontana — as well as the Polytechnic University of Milan. He first worked for the family furniture-making firm, ABV, an atelier influenced by the more expressive and curvaceous wing of Art Deco design. Borsani took over Arredamenti Borsani in 1937.
With his stylish and technically innovative furniture, Borsani helped change the face of Italian design in the 1950s and ’60s. His sofas and chairs, featuring deeply upholstered seating and adjustable position settings, have an aura of optimism and efficiency that still seems fresh and lively today.
While he is today recognized as a master of mid-century modernist Italian furniture, Borsani is most famous these days for cofounding Tecno. (He and Fulgenzio also created Villa Borsani, a visionary mid-century estate cherished for its modern lines and exquisite custom furnishings.)
When Borsani opened Tecno, an office-focused maker of industrial design, his design sensibilities had evolved toward furnishings with strong, simple forms enhanced by mechanical innovations, as with the P40 adjustable armchair.
When they were originally released, Tecno pieces like the P40 and the award-winning D70 sofa bed were acclaimed as cutting-edge, and they are still considered groundbreaking in their adaptability and functionality. The firm quickly garnered widespread acclaim for its tech-forward designs and quality craftsmanship.
Borsani would be Tecno’s lead designer for 30 years, while partnering on projects with the likes of architect Eugenio Gerli and fostering work by Vico Magistretti, Carlo De Carli, Robin Day and others.
Borsani designed pieces for Tecno until shortly before his death in 1985, when his daughter Valeria and her husband, Marco Fantoni, took over the creative work.
Today, the family’s legacy is preserved by Borsani’s architect grandson Tommaso Fantoni, who, along with Norman Foster, curated a blockbuster retrospective of Osvaldo Borsani’s work at Milan’s Triennale Design Museum in 2018.
Find vintage Tecno chairs, tables, desks and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Rare 'Mobiletto T128' Revolving Cabinet by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, Italy
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Dronten, NL
An exceptionally rare Mobiletto T128 revolving cabinet designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. A masterful example of Borsani's innovative approach to furniture design, the T128 combi...
Steel
$812Sale Price|20% Off
Osvaldo Borsani Rectangular C7 Cart in Steel for Tecno Varedo Italy 1960s
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Rectangular cart model C7 with a black painted steel rod frame, removable shelves in a light brown steel sheet designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Varedo, 1960s Literature: P. Bosoni, Osvaldo Borsani. Architect, designer, entrepreneur, Skira, Milan 2018, p. 596 In 1953, he founded the Tecno company, specialized in technology and innovation which was the best way to him to produce his own creations. The D70 sofa bed...
Steel, Sheet Metal
Side Table by Osvaldo Borsani for ABV, 1950s, Italy
By Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Milan, IT
Rare cart by Osvaldo Borsani for Atelier Borsani Varedo. Early 50s piece featuring an adjustable height from 60 to 90 cms. Original metal label.
Metal
Brass Serving Cart by Osvaldo Borsani, circa 1938
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
An elegant and very rare serving cart (carello) by Osvaldo Borsani, Italy, circa 1938. Polished and lacquered brass, original glass (green tinted).
Brass
$45,133
H 31.11 in W 94.1 in D 43.31 in
Table 30s 40s, Osvaldo Borsani for ABV 'Atelier Borsani Varedo'
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Milano, IT
Table with wooden structure and supporting sculptural elements, glass top and planter in the base.
Crystal
Osvaldo Borsani Italian Side Table in Brass and Blue Glass, 1950s
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Osvaldo Borsani Italian Side Table in Brass and Blue Glass, 1950s Iconic side table Mod. T1, made of full brass and painted glass top in blue color. Designed in the 1950s by Osvaldo...
Brass
$5,867
H 9.06 in W 82.68 in D 21.66 in
Osvaldo Borsani wall-mounted wood and brass desk model E22 by Tecno Italy, 1950s
By Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
A wall-mounted desk in wood, metal, and brass, part of the E22 series, produced by Tecno, designed by Osvaldo Borsani, 1950s A wall-mounted piece of furniture, free from floor suppo...
Metal, Brass
T96 Desk Boomerang by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, 1950s
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in bruxelles, BE
1st edition of Wood and metal desk in the shape of a boomerang by Osvaldo Borsani. 2 modules, one with 3 drawers and another with 3 drawers and storage. No Keys. Wear due to time and...
Metal
A Rare Coffee Table By Osvaldo Borsani Ca' 1939.
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
An unusual and rare coffee table by Osvaldo Borsani ca' 1939.
Glass, Wood
Boomerang Desk by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Milano, 1950s Italy
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Architectural black boomerang executive desk by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Milano. Finished with leather desktop inclusion. Floating pedestal on right side and longer return on the le...
Aluminum
Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Tavolino "T1" , Italy 1960s
By Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Naples, IT
Rare and stunning small table model T1 by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. The coffee table is distinguished by its silhouette, characterized by a spherical element placed in the center of...
Chrome
$1,387
H 28.35 in W 31.5 in D 19.1 in
Italian Midcentury Serving Cart or Trolley in Cesare Lacca Style, 1960s
By Cesare Lacca
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Italian Midcentury Serving Cart or Trolley in Cesare Lacca Style, 1960s Beautiful bar cart or trolley, which can be used also as side table. Made in Italy in the mid-century in the ...
Brass
1950's Italian Wooden Table by Osvaldo Borsani
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Paris, FR
An Italian mid-century modern oval dining table attributed to Osvaldo Borsani, circa 1950s. Sculptural yet disciplined, it is defined by a strong pedestal base and clean Italian mode...
Wood, Cherry
$6,431
H 20.87 in Dm 28.15 in
Tripod Side Table by Osvaldo Borsani for Arredamenti Borsani, Italy, 1950s
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Brussels, BE
Tripod Side Table by Osvaldo Borsani for Arredamenti Borsani, Italy,1950s
Brass
$3,159
H 15.75 in W 19.69 in D 19.69 in
Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, "T61" Coffee Table with Marble Top, Italy, 1950s
By Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Naples, IT
Designed by the renowned architect and designer Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, this low coffee table is a piece of extraordinary formal balance, where the clean lines of the metal frame ...
Marble, Metal
Osvaldo Borsani T96 Executive Desk for Tecno, Italy, 1956
By Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
The T96 is an executive desk that organises its architecture around two chromed pylons and a boomerang-shaped top, pushed out at each end into obtuse angles that open the desk toward...
Aluminum
$5,867Sale Price|20% Off
H 25.99 in W 94.49 in D 47.25 in
Osvaldo Borsani Large Dining Table for Tecno, Italy, 1970s
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Milano, IT
Experience the epitome of Italian design and craftsmanship with this strikingly large dining table by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, dating back to the 1970s. Meticulously designed and e...
Iron
$3,711
H 17.72 in W 39.38 in D 25.6 in
Italian Coffee Table in Walnut Wood by Osvaldo Borsani, c.1950s
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in London, GB
Coffee table in walnut wood by Osvaldo Borsani, c.1950s. Walnut wood, cut and coloured glass Dimensions: W100 x D65 x H45 cm.
Wood
Bar Model B106 by Eugenio Gerli for Tecno
By Eugenio Gerli, Tecno
Located in Dronten, NL
Bar on wheels by Eugenio Gerli for Tecno Milano, 1966. Plywood outer panels lacquered in bold yellow. Beautiful bookmatched rosewood veneer inside, top and shelves with chocolate br...
Chrome
Sold
H 29.53 in W 34.85 in D 20.99 in
Bar On Wheels, model "B106" by Eugenio Gerli, Tecno Milano, 1966
By Eugenio Gerli, Tecno
Located in Berlin, DE
Bar On Wheels, model "B106" by Eugenio Gerli, Tecno Milano, 1966 marked with manufacturers label