Lucania Armchair by Giancarlo De Carlo for Arflex, Italy

About the Item

"Lucania" armchair by Giancarlo de Carlo for Arflex, Italy, late 1950s. The Lucania is a generous armchair, with organic shape and innovative design. On launch it was featured in the influential Domus magazine (November 1957), where the article set out the details and techniques used in its construction. The back and arms form a single metal shell, softened with bands of rubber, with the impression of the central spine faintly visible at the back. The leg section cradles the body and the black finish remains in good condition, with some signs of age as one might expect. The chair has now been professionally re-upholstered by hand to re-create the Arflex design. The "Storr" fabric used is a large-scale chunky wool bouclé made by Bute Fabrics, a traditional Scottish wool mill; the Pebble colourway has mid-grey loops over a dark grey ground and for us image 9, which shows a close-up of the fabric, is also a good reference for the colour. Approximate dimensions: H 92cm x W 90cm x D 75cm Seat height approximately 41cm Giancarlo de Carlo (1919 - 2005) was a noted Italian architect and designer.

Creator:
Giancarlo De Carlo (Designer),Arflex (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 36.23 in (92 cm)Width: 35.44 in (90 cm)Depth: 29.53 in (75 cm)Seat Height: 16.15 in (41 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Steel,Upholstery,Wool
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
Mid-20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Mid-20th Century
Condition:
Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. Re-upholstered using the original metal skeleton.
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1267234806212

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Arflex

From its unorthodox beginnings, Italian manufacturer Arflex grew into one of the leaders of 20th-century furniture design. Its furniture came to be known for its integration of new materials and bold appeal, and today a variety of vintage Arflex chairs, sofas and tables are emblems of mid-century modernism.

Arflex was established in Milan in 1947 by Pirelli employees Carlo Barassi, Pio Reggiani, Renato Teani and Aldo Bai. Barassi, a Milan Polytechnic graduate and visionary engineer at the Italian tire manufacturer, explored innovative technology and new uses for synthetic materials in domestic products (for Kartell, he codeveloped a ski rack for automobiles). The four founders partnered with a young architect named Marco Zanuso, who also desired to create furniture that featured an application of novel materials such as elastic tape and polyurethane foam.

One of Arflex’s inaugural pieces was Zanuso’s Lady armchair, a seat made of polyurethane foam that was manufactured in pieces and assembled at the very end of the production process. It won a gold medal at the 1951 Milan Triennale. A couple of years later, Arflex collaborated with Studio BBPR to create the office-chic Elettra and Neptunia chairs. The flourishing furniture company quickly established a reputation for compelling products and attracting and working with up-and-coming designers such as Roberto Menghi, who created Hall, a luxurious line of seating that would earn the Compasso d’Oro – Honorable Mention in 1959.

In the 1960s, Arflex continued to welcome the use of new and cutting-edge materials. Popular designs from this decade include Carlo Bartoli's fiberglass and polyester resin Gaia lounge chair and Cini Boer’s Bobo Relax lounger, one of history’s first seating pieces made of polyurethane foam (it has no internal frame). Boer, a pioneer of furniture design in Italy, also created the Strips sofa for the brand in 1972. Part of a plush modular seating system, the Strips sofa became an Arflex icon and was awarded the Compasso d'Oro in 1979.

Arflex continues to work with innovative designers to this day. Among their more recent collaborations is with Swedish design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune. The company's legendary creations are also on display at museums worldwide. The Lady chair, for example, is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

On 1stDibs, you can find a collection of vintage Arflex lounge chairs, armchairs, coffee tables and other furniture.