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Vico Magistretti

Italian, 1920-2006

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.

Average Sold Price
$3,106
Styles
Materials
Related Creators
Iconic Designs from Vico Magistretti
Explore timeless pieces that have earned their place in history.
Vico Magistretti Maralunga Sofa
Vico Magistretti Maralunga Sofa
Vico Magistretti Atollo Lamp
Vico Magistretti Atollo Lamp
Vico Magistretti Selene Chair
Vico Magistretti Selene Chair
Vico Magistretti Eclisse Table Lamp
Vico Magistretti Eclisse Table Lamp
Vico Magistretti 'Atollo' Medium Metal Satin Gold Table Lamp by Oluce
By Oluce, Vico Magistretti
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Table lamp designed by Vico Magistretti in 1977 Manufactured by Oluce, Italy. Designed in 1977 by Vico Magistretti, over the years, Atollo has become the archetype of the table l...
Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vico Magistretti

Materials

Metal

Vico Magistretti Outdoor Wall Lamp 'Lyndon' Medium by Oluce
By Oluce, Vico Magistretti
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Wall lamp 'Lyndon' designed by Vico Magistretti in 1980. Outside wall lamp. Zinc-plated and black lacquered metal structure, globes in transparent p...
Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vico Magistretti

Materials

Metal

Vico Magistretti 'Eclisse' Table Lamp in Orange for Artemide
By Vico Magistretti, Artemide
Located in Glendale, CA
Vico Magistretti 'Eclisse' table lamp in orange for Artemide. Designed in 1967, the authorized re-edition Eclisse is a bedside table, or wall-mounted (pin-up), lamp for direct and diffused incandescent lighting. Body in lacquered steel, featuring an incorporated rotatable shield executed in white lacquered steel, which allows for the eclipsing of the light source and the regulation of its light emission. On/off switch located on cord. Available to order in unlimited quantities in choice of polished white, polished orange, matte black, copper, gold, or mirrored finish. This listing is for the Eclisse table lamp...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Vico Magistretti

Materials

Aluminum, Steel

Lyndon 160 Outdoor Wall Light by Vico Magistretti for Oluce
By Oluce, Vico Magistretti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lyndon outdoor wall light by Vico Magistretti. Current production by Oluce. Enameled metal, glass. Wired for U.S. standards. The Lyndon was originally designed in 1977 and developed ...
Category

2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vico Magistretti

Materials

Metal

Pascal Floor Lamp by Vico Magistretti for Oluce
By Oluce, Vico Magistretti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pascal floor lamp by Vico Magistretti for Oluce. Vico Magistretti was an icon of mid-20th century design. During his career, he w...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Vico Magistretti

Materials

Metal, Aluminum

Artemide Eclisse Table E12 Table Lamp in Orange by Vico Magistretti
By Artemide, Vico Magistretti
Located in Hicksville, NY
An icon of Italian industrial design, Eclisse can provide direct or diffuse light. Inspired by a miner’s lamp used by the hero Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, the lamp is composed of...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Vico Magistretti

Materials

Metal

Vico Magistretti 'Eclisse' Table Lamp in White for Artemide
By Vico Magistretti, Artemide
Located in Glendale, CA
Vico Magistretti 'Eclisse' table lamp in white for Artemide. Vico Magistretti Eclisse table lamp in white for Artemide. Designed in 1967, the auth...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Vico Magistretti

Materials

Steel, Aluminum

Glass and Marble Side Table Designed by Vico Magistretti for Cattelan, Italy 80s
By Vico Magistretti, Cattelan Italia
Located in Lucija, SI
Rare side table designed by Vico Magistretti for Cattelan Italia- Made from marble, glass and metal Designed in Memphis style in the 80s Perfect original conditions
Category

1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Vico Magistretti

Materials

Marble, Metal

Browse all Furniture from Vico Magistretti
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Creators Similar to Vico Magistretti

More Vico Magistretti Designs
Vico Magistretti Maralunga Sofa
Vico Magistretti Maralunga Sofa
Average Price
$6,042
Number Available
25
Vico Magistretti Maralunga Sofa
By Vico Magistretti
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Styles
Mid Century Modern
While origin stories behind the world’s timeless designs vary widely, the story of the Maralunga sofa is one of the best in design lore: As legend has it, when Cassina founder Cesare Cassina first saw the prototype for the piece in the mid-1970s by Italian furniture designer Vico Magistretti (1920–2006), he was so disgusted by it that he punched it, breaking the back of the sofa, which crumbled over itself . . . into the shape the piece would eventually take. (“Right, great, it looks perfect ...
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Vico Magistretti Atollo Lamp
Vico Magistretti Atollo Lamp
Average Price
$2,336
Number Available
16
Vico Magistretti Atollo Lamp
By Vico Magistretti
Materials
Metal, Glass, Aluminum, Blown Glass
Styles
Mid Century Modern
For such a revered piece of lighting design, the Atollo lamp is impressively simple, comprising just three forms: a cylinder, a cone and a dome, stacked so neatly atop one another that the dome appears to hover above the fixture on its own. This sculptural table lamp, an outwardly geometric tour de force from postwar Italy that produces warm diffused light, was created by prolific industrial designer and architect Vico Magistretti (1920–2006). Born in Milan to a family of architects — both h...
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Vico Magistretti Selene Chair
Vico Magistretti Selene Chair
Average Price
$2,938
Number Available
12
Vico Magistretti Selene Chair
By Vico Magistretti
Materials
Plastic
Styles
Mid Century Modern
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Vico Magistretti Eclisse Table Lamp
Vico Magistretti Eclisse Table Lamp
Average Price
$396
Number Available
9
Vico Magistretti Eclisse Table Lamp
By Vico Magistretti
Materials
Metal, Plastic
Styles
Mid Century Modern, Modern
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Vico Magistretti furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Vico Magistretti furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Vico Magistretti furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 434 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 156 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Vico Magistretti were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Joe Colombo, Carlo Nason, and Gaetano Sciolari. Prices for Vico Magistretti furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $125 and can go as high as $33,600, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,860.
Questions About Vico Magistretti
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    The Carimate chair for Cassina is one of the most celebrated pieces of Vico Magistretti but this designer is also well known for the Eclipse Table Lamp, Selene Stacking Chair, Chimera Lamp and more. He is seen as one of Italy’s most influential industrial designers, furniture designers and architects. Shop a collection of Magistretti furniture from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.

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