Widely recognized as superstars of postmodern Italian design, husband-and-wife team Afra and Tobia Scarpa (1937–2011; b. 1935) collaboratively created chairs, sofas and other furniture that work equally well in both traditional and cutting-edge environments.
Afra Bianchin and Tobia Scarpa met as architecture students at the Università Iuav di Venezia. In a class led by architect and furniture designer Franco Albini, they created their first collaborative piece, the Pigreco armchair, later produced with Gavina. After graduating in 1957, Tobia Scarpa worked for Murano glass company Venini & Co. before the couple opened a studio in Afra’s hometown, Montebelluna, in 1960. (Tobia, the son of famed glass artist and architect Carlo Scarpa, was born in Venice.)
Ranging from architecture and interior design to furniture and clothing, the Scarpas’ practice from its beginnings in the mid-1950s to the 21st century has included a diverse scope of projects combining new technology with thoughtful function and sculptural yet simple forms.
For Afra and Tobia, a close collaborative process was pivotal to the success of their designs. The duo was also prolific — they designed for the most influential European manufacturers, including B&B Italia, Cassina, Knoll and FLOS. With respect to the latter, Afra and Tobia were among the legendary Italian lighting maker’s earliest collaborators, and their pioneering designs for the brand included the Papillon lamp, one of the first fixtures to use halogen technology. Their most recognized designs include the Bastiano sofa (1962), the Vanessa bed (1959), the Coronado sofa (1966) and the Soriana seating collection (1970). Work on the Soriana sofa began in late 1969 for an early 1970 debut, and it feels as radical today as it did in its heyday.
Architecture was also a central part of Afra and Tobia’s practice, which spanned residential buildings and factories for Italian companies such as Benetton. Their commissions for the global fashion brand included numerous industrial projects, from textile plants to storefronts. By 1985, Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work was celebrated in a 30-year retrospective at Center Four in Queens, New York. Looking around the 30,000-square-foot exhibition space, Afra joked to the New York Times, “Seeing all those things makes us feel very tired, and now we feel that maybe we worked too much.”
It was not too much for their legacy, as Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work continues to inspire new generations. Scarpa designs are in collections at the Louvre, the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The couple was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1970 for the Soriana armchair.
Find vintage Tobia Scarpa table lamps, sofas, dining chairs and other furniture today on 1stDibs.
White Leather Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Walnut and Leather)
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair tha...
Leather, Walnut
Tobia Scarpa "Pigreco" Chair for Gavina, Italy 1950's
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Tobia Scarpa, Gavina
Located in Los Angeles, CA
"Pigreco" chair by designer Tobia Scarpa in walnut with genuine leather seat. This chair was manufactured in the 1950's by the Italian company Gavina. Retain their Stendig paper ...
Leather, Walnut
Tobia Scarpa, Set of four Pigreco wooden Chairs for Gavina, Italy (1959)
By Tobia Scarpa, Gavina
Located in Argelato, BO
The Pigreco chair was designed by the famous Italian architect Tobia Scarpa in 1959 for the Gavina company. This is an extremely important work in Scarpa's artistic career, in fact i...
Leather, Wood
Tacchini Sempronia Chair by Tobia Scarpa in STOCK
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
SEMPRONIA CHAIR 50x53 CAT. V - VITE 08 BRONZE RINGS T117 WITH INTERLINER CAL117 Circular elements fit together in a double circle that evokes the signa...
Fabric
Knoll Bastiano Lounge Chair by Tobia Scarpa
By Tobia Scarpa, Knoll
Located in Rochester, England
Introducing the stunning Bastiano Lounge Chair by Tobia Scarpa for Knoll, a true masterpiece of luxury furniture. This iconic lounge chair features a sleek and sophisticated design, ...
Leather
New and Made to Order Tacchini Basilan Rattan Chair with leather by Tobia Scarpa
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
Design and artisanal tradition converge in the Basilan chair, reflecting a contemporary way of living with furniture and a deep sensitivity to authenticity and natural materials that...
Rattan
Tobia Scarpa “Pigreco” Dining Chairs for Gavina, 1960, Set of 6
By Tobia Scarpa, Gavina
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Tobia Scarpa “Pigreco” dining chairs for Gavina, metal and walnut, Italy, 1960, set of six. Created for the furniture design course of Franco Alb...
Walnut
Customizable Tacchini Dialogo Armchair by Tobia Scarpa
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
PRICE LISTED FOR STARTING leather and walnut stained A rectangular frame with rounded edges, masterful joints, and strictly visible dowels and screws reinforces the typical double ...
Textile, Leather, Walnut
Set of 4 Black Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967
By Tobia Scarpa, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Argelato, BO
Set of 4 Black Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967 The chair, which has now become an icon of Italian style, features Scarpa's typical double trestle struc...
Leather, Wood
Set of 4 Black Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967
By Tobia Scarpa, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Argelato, BO
Set of 6 Black Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967 The chair, which has now become an icon of Italian style, features Scarpa's typical double trestle struc...
Leather, Wood
Set of 6 Black Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Argelato, BO
Set of 6 Black Leather "121" Chairs by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1967 The chair, which has now become an icon of Italian style, features Scarpa's typical double trestle struc...
Leather, Wood
Luxury Glossy Sky Blue Chair Tacchini Dialogo by Tobia Scarpa
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Marking its 50th anniversary, the Dialogo chair—a masterpiece by Master Tobia Scarpa—returns in this reissue by Tacchini that highlights its essential desig...
Wood, Fabric
Luxury Canaletta Walnut Chair with Armrests Tacchini Dialogo by Tobia Scarpa
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Marking its 50th anniversary, the Dialogo chair with armrests—a masterpiece by Master Tobia Scarpa—returns in this reissue by Tacchini that highlights its e...
Leather, Wood
Luxury Glossy White Chair with Armrests Tacchini Dialogo by Tobia Scarpa
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Marking its 50th anniversary, the Dialogo chair with armrests—a masterpiece by Master Tobia Scarpa—returns in this reissue by Tacchini that highlights its e...
Leather, Wood
Luxury Leather Italian Chair Tacchini Africa Chair by Tobia Scarpa
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa and reissued by Tacchini, the Africa chair encapsulates a perfect synthesis of structure, form, and functionality into a ...
Leather, Wood
Green Leather Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Anthracite and Leather)
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair th...
Leather, Wood
Black Leather Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Anthracite and Leather)
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair tha...
Leather, Wood
White Leather Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Glossy pink and Leather)
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair tha...
Leather, Lacquer
Pink Leather Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Glossy pink and Leather)
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair tha...
Leather, Lacquer
Black Leather Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Glossy red and Leather)
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair tha...
Leather, Lacquer
Green Leather Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Glossy red and Leather)
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair tha...
Leather, Lacquer
Red Leather Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Glossy red and Leather)
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair tha...
Leather, Lacquer
Green Leather Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Glossy black and Leather)
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair tha...
Leather, Lacquer
Black Leather Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Glossy black and Leather)
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair tha...
Leather, Lacquer
White Leather Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Glossy black and Leather)
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair tha...
Leather, Lacquer
White Leather Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Glossy pink and Leather)
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair tha...
Leather, Lacquer
Black Leather Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Glossy pink and Leather)
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair tha...
Leather, Lacquer
Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Glossy Powder Pink Lacquered and fabric)
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair...
Walnut, Fabric
Green Leather Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Walnut and Leather)
By Tobia Scarpa, Tacchini
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair tha...
Leather, Walnut
Black Leather Chair Tacchini Pigreco by Tobia Scarpa (Walnut and Leather)
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Conceived in 1959 as a graduation project at the University of Venice, Pigreco is the very first product designed by Master Tobia Scarpa—an auteur chair tha...
Leather, Walnut
$1,899 / item
Rattan Chair Tacchini Basilan by Tobia Scarpa
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Varedo, Lombardia
The Concept & Inspiration Designed by Tobia Scarpa, the Basilan chair reflects a contemporary way of experiencing furniture and a sensitivity towards authenticity and natural materia...
Rattan
New and Made to Order Tacchini Basilan Rattan Chair by Tobia Scarpa
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
Design and artisanal tradition converge in the Basilan chair, reflecting a contemporary way of living with furniture and a deep sensitivity to authenticity and natural materials that...
Rattan
Customizable Tacchini Glossy Lacquer Dialogo Armchair by Tobia Scarpa
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
PRICE LISTED FOR STARTING FABRIC and glossy lacquer A rectangular frame with rounded edges, masterful joints, and strictly visible dowels and screws reinforces the typical double tr...
Leather, Textile, Walnut
Tacchini Sempronia Chair by Tobia Scarpa in STOCK
By Tobia Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
SEMPRONIA CHAIR 50x53 CAT. V - VITE 03 MATT BLACK NICKEL RINGS T148 WITH INTERLINER CAL117 Circular elements fit together in a double circle that evoke...
Fabric
Customizable Tacchini Sempronia Chair by Tobia Scarpa
By Tacchini, Tobia Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
Circular elements fit together in a double circle that evokes the signature of the great master who designed it. Twin legs, created by the intersection of two cylinders, extend up to...
Textile