As one of the founding fathers of modern Italian design, prolific architect and industrial designer Ludovico Magistretti (known by his nickname Vico) was guided by his philosophy, “There is no excuse for bad design.” His architectural projects are widely revered, and an ingenious meld of form and function can be found in his stylish and deceptively simple table lamps, sofas, armchairs and other mid-century furnishings.
Born in Milan, Magistretti followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather (both architects) to study architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan. At the outbreak of World War II, he fled to Switzerland, and it was there he met his role model and mentor, renowned humanist architect Ernesto Nathan Rogers. Magistretti was inspired by Rogers’s vision to revive postwar Italy, and they collaborated on several reconstruction projects. Among Magistretti’s first architectural designs is a “poetic” round church, which he created for the QT8, an experimental Milanese neighborhood.
When Magistretti returned to Milan in 1945, he worked at his father’s architectural firm. It wasn’t until the early 1950s that he expanded his talents into design while working with furniture artisans.
In the 1960s, Magistretti began his 30-year working relationship with famed entrepreneur Cesare Cassina of the Cassina furniture manufacturing company. In their design approach, the two men shared a vision of the relationship between modernity and tradition and enjoyed a close bond (Magistretti designed Cassina’s luxurious villa in 1965). However, their friendship was not without contention.
Legend has it that upon seeing the prototype for Magistretti’s Maralunga sofa, Cassina hated it so much that he punched it, breaking the back of the sofa, which crumpled into itself.
“Right, great, it looks perfect to me like that,” an unfazed Magistretti allegedly responded, and the Maralunga’s slumped, adjustable-height backrest was born. Incidentally, the Maralunga sofa won Italy’s Compasso d’Oro award as did his Eclisse lamp for Artemide and his Atollo lamp for Oluce.
Magistretti died in 2006, but his designs live on in galleries, museums and private residences and offices around the world.
Find a range of vintage Vico Magistretti furniture and lighting on 1stDibs.
Mid-Century Italian Space Age Demetrio Coffee Lounge Table by Vico, 1960s
By Vico Magistretti
Located in Hamburg, DE
Simple coffee table by the renowned manufacturer Artemide after a design by Vico Magistretti from the 60s. A simple design with elegant curves. The flat table has a square design. T...
Plastic
Mid-Century Italian Space Age Demetrio Coffee Lounge Table, 1960s
By Vico Magistretti
Located in Hamburg, DE
Simple coffee table by the renowned manufacturer Artemide after a design by Vico Magistretti from the 60s. A simple design with elegant curves. The flat table has a square design. T...
Plastic
Stunning vintage Sinbad Coffee Tables 1989 by Vico Magistretti for CASSINA Italy
By Vico Magistretti
Located in Buggenhout, Oost-Vlaanderen
Sinbad Coffee Tables by Vico Magistretti for Cassina 1989 Black Lacquered Modular Coffee Tables on Cylindrical Bases This rare Sinbad coffee table set was designed by Vico Magistret...
Wood
Italian modern metal glass coffee table Vico Magistretti Cattelan Italia, 1980s
By Vico Magistretti, Cattelan Italia
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern metal glass coffee table Vico Magistretti Cattelan Italia, 1980s Coffee table in metal, glass, and travertine. The frame is made of light blue painted metal. The top i...
Marble, Metal
Caori Coffee Table by Vico Magistretti Knoll International Gavina Black 1960s
By Vico Magistretti, Gavina
Located in Berlin, BE
Beautiful Coffee Table by the famous italian Designer Vico Magistretti called ,,Caori“ , manufactured by Gavina in the 1960s. The coffee table is made of lacquered wood. The top is i...
Metal, Stainless Steel
$800Sale Price|20% Off
Vico Magistretti for Artemide Selene Dining Table
By Vico Magistretti
Located in Pasadena, TX
Vico Magistretti for Artemide dining table A Mid-Century Modern dining table designed by Vico Magistretti and made by Artemide Milano. R...
Plastic
Vidum Red and Yellow Table by Vico Magistretti for De Padova Italia 1987
By DePadova 1, Vico Magistretti
Located in Catania, IT
Theatrical and sculptural round table in lacquered beech wood and crystal top, model Vidum (in Milanese dialect, big screw) designed by Vico Magistretti for De Padova Italia 1987. A ...
Glass, Harewood
Important dining table Mod 781 by Vico Magistretti for Cassina
By Vico Magistretti, Cassina
Located in Milano, IT
The Model 781 dining table, designed by Vico Magistretti for Cassina in the 1960s-1970s, is a masterpiece of Italian design that embodies the perfect synthesis of elegance and functionality. This piece represents a benchmark for lovers of minimalist design, thanks to its clean geometric lines and the formal rigor that characterizes Magistretti's work. Structure in Walnut Wood and Top in Aniline Testa di Moro. The table's frame is made of solid walnut wood, a fine material that lends strength and durability to the piece of furniture. The table top, finished in dark brown aniline, creates a refined contrast with the wood, offering a balance between tradition and modernity. In the center of the top is a distinctive detail: a square in dark brown foil that enriches the design with a contemporary touch. The table's legs are the real focal point of its design. Made of turned wood with a rounded, tubular shape, they feature elegant indentations and sharp carvings that demonstrate the craftsmanship behind this piece. The legs not only provide stability to the table, but also become an eye-catching decorative element, enriching the design with a sculptural and sophisticated touch. he Model 781 table...
Wood
Side Table in Metal, Crystal and Carrara Marble by Magistretti, Italy, 1970s
By Vico Magistretti
Located in Roma, IT
Stunning and very rare Mid-Century side table designed by Vico Magistretti and produced in Italy during the 1970s. A superb example of Magistretti’s minimalist and architectural desi...
Crystal, Carrara Marble, Metal
Marble side table by Vico Magistretti for Cattelan Italia
By Cattelan Italia, Vico Magistretti
Located in Athens, Attiki
Round glass and marble coffee table by Vico Magistretti for Cattelan, 1980s, Excellent condition Dimensions: height 60 cm including handle, diameter 60
Marble, Metal
Vidun table by Vico Magistretti for De Padova, Italy 1987
By Paolo de Padova, Vico Magistretti
Located in Antwerp, BE
Designed in 1987 by Vico Magistretti for De Padova, the Vidun table is a refined expression of late-20th-century Italian design, where engineering intelligence meets sculptural restr...
Glass, Wood
DEMETRIO 45 side tables, Vico Magistretti, Artemide
By Artemide, Vico Magistretti
Located in Neuss, NW
Stackable DEMETRIO 45 side tables by Vico Magistretti for Artemide from the 1960s. High-quality plastic frame in orange. Quality Features: very good workmanship high qualit...
Plastic
White Caori Coffee Table by Vico Magistretti for Gavina, Italy, 1960s
By Vico Magistretti
Located in Brussels, BE
White Caori Coffee Table by Vico Magistretti for Gavina, Italy, 1960s
Stainless Steel
Stackable Tables Demetrio 45 by Vico Magistretti for Artemide, Italy 60s
By Artemide, Vico Magistretti
Located in Lucija, SI
Set of three stackable coffee table designed by Vico Magistretti for Artemide Italy
Fiberglass
Stackable Tables Modello Demetrio 45 by Vico Magistretti for Artimide, Italy
By Vico Magistretti, Artimide
Located in Delft, NL
Stackable tables Modello Demetrio 45 by Vico Magistretti for Artimide, Italy 3 Stackable tables, 2 tables in orange and 1 off white ...
Fiberglass, Polyester
Vico Magistretti Edison Dining Table for Cassina, Glass & Steel
By Vico Magistretti
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Vico Magistretti Edison Table For Cassina An elegant system of cross-shaped connectors used in gas lamps gave Vico Magistretti the idea for this glass table that grew out of a desi...
Glass
Demetrio 45 Coffee Table by Vico Magistretti, Italian Design, 1966
By Vico Magistretti, Artemide
Located in London, England
La table basse Demetrio 45, conçue par Vico Magistretti pour la marque italienne Artemide en 1966, incarne le génie du design italien moderne. Réalisée en plastique blanc, cette pièc...
Resin
Italian space age Plastic coffee table Demetrio 45 by Magistretti Artemide 1970s
By Vico Magistretti, Artemide
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian space age Stackable plastic coffee table Demetrio 45 by Vico Magistretti for Artemide, 1970s Set of 6 coffee tables mod. Demetrio 45 in ABS plastic, 3 in white and 3 in red. ...
Plastic
$987Sale Price / set|62% Off
Vico Magistretti Stackable Tables T8 for Azucena, Italy, 1954
By Vico Magistretti, Azucena
Located in Labrit, Landes
Two stackable tables by Vico Magistretti for Azucena, Italy, circa 1954 Provenance from the estate of Italian designer and Architect Renato Magri friend ...
Wood
Table basse blanche Caori Vico Magistretti Gavina 1960
By Vico Magistretti
Located in BAUD, FR
Table basse blanche Caori par Vico Magistretti pour Gavina, Italie, 1960s Table basse est en bois laqué Plateau en acier inoxydable satiné une ouverture centrale deux tiroirs latér...
Wood
$1,639Sale Price / item|20% Off
Acerbis Florian Multilevel Table in Glossy Lacquered Dark Green Frame
By Acerbis, Vico Magistretti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Designed in 1989 by Vico Magistretti, the side table model Florian it is now re-edited in new colors and dimensions while maintaining its function as a service table. Two-tier foldi...
Wood
Side table by Vico Magistretti for Cattelan, Italy 1980s.
By Cattelan Italia, Vico Magistretti
Located in Athens, Attiki
Marble and glass side table by Vivi Magistretti for Cattelan, Italy 1980s.
Marble, Metal
Italian space age Plastic Dining table Stadio by Magistretti for Artemide, 1970s
By Vico Magistretti, Artemide
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian space age Dining table Stadio by Vico Magistretti for Artemide, 1970s Dining table mod. Stadio with square top and rounded corners, entirely in red ABS plastic. The legs have...
Plastic
"Babe III" Console Table by Vico Magistretti for De Padova, Italy, 1988
By ICF De Padova, Vico Magistretti
Located in Santa Margherita Ligure, IT
Sculptural "Babe III" console table designed by Vico Magistretti and produced by De Padova in 1988. This striking piece features an oval-shaped top crafted from solid stained cherry...
Fruitwood
$1,410Sale Price|25% Off
Vintage Dresser Model CS49 by Vico Magistretti for Poggi Productions Italy 1970s
By Poggi, Vico Magistretti
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage dresser model CS49 by Vico Magistretti for Poggi Productions, Italy 1970s dresser model CS49 is an original design dresser created by Vico Magistretti (Milan, 1920-Milan, 200...
Wood
Early fiberglass Tessera dining table by Vico Magistretti for Artemide, Italy
By Vico Magistretti, Artemide
Located in Tel Aviv-Yafo, IL
Tessera is an assemblable table 72 cm high in reinforced resin whose circular top has a diameter of 120 cm and the column-shaped support ends with a flared base. Early fiberglass ve...
Fiberglass
$1,639Sale Price / item|20% Off
Acerbis Florian Multilevel Table in Glossy Lacquered Mustard Yellow Frame
By Acerbis, Vico Magistretti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Designed in 1989 by Vico Magistretti, the side table model Florian it is now re-edited in new colors and dimensions while maintaining its function as a service table. Two-tier foldi...
Wood
$5,816Sale Price|44% Off
Square Walnut Table Model 781 by Vico Magistretti for Cassina, 60s , 70s
By Cassina, Vico Magistretti
Located in Padova, IT
Square walnut table model 781 by Vico Magistretti for Cassina 60s , 70s. Superb table in solid walnut, top in dark brown aniline. Cassina Spa is ...
Walnut
Vico Magistretti for Artemide Pair of Stackable Coffee Tables "Demetrio 45," 1970
By Artemide, Vico Magistretti
Located in Naples, IT
Pair of Demetrio 45 square stackable side tables by Vico Magistretti for Studio Artemide Milano in white lacquered fiberglass
Fiberglass
Tavolo 'Stadio 100' di Vico Magistretti Produzione Artemide anni '70 rosso
By Vico Magistretti
Located in Milano, IT
Tavolo da pranzo vintage in materiale plastico rosso con piano quadrato e angoli smussati.
Plastic
Square Walnut Coffee Table Model "T8" by Vico Magistretti for Azucena, Italy
By Azucena, Vico Magistretti
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1954. These are stackable coffee tables model T8 designed by Vico Magistretti and produced by Azucena, Milan (Italy), in 1954. They feature an ebonized beech frame an...
Walnut, Beech
$1,639Sale Price / item|20% Off
Acerbis Florian Multilevel Table in Glossy Lacquered Brick Red Frame
By Vico Magistretti, Acerbis
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Designed in 1989 by Vico Magistretti, the side table model Florian it is now re-edited in new colors and dimensions while maintaining its function as a service table. Two-tier foldi...
Wood
Italian Marble Glass Side Table Attr Vico Magistretti for Cattelan Italia, 1980s
By Vico Magistretti
Located in Chicago, IL
Sold and priced individually. A 1980s Italian Modern side table attributed to Vico Magistretti for Cattelan Italia. The table features a minimalist black lacquered steel frame with ...
Marble, Metal
$8,272Sale Price|20% Off
Italian design rectangular table "781" by V.Magistretti for Cassina 1970s
By Vico Magistretti, Cassina
Located in Milano, MI
Elegant dining table model 781 by Vico Magistretti for Cassina with light walnut wood essence frame and top with ebonized effect. unique design especially in the format of the table...
Wood