Afra & Tobia Scarpa ‘Benetton’ Chair in Leather and Steel

Name: Afra & Tobia Scarpa ‘Benetton’ Chair in Leather and Steel
Brand: Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Price: 5600 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Benetton Office, chair, brass, leather, steel, Italy, 1985. This chair is designed for the office of the clothing brand Benetton by Afra & Tobia Scarpa. This chair is executed in original cognac leather and tubular steel. The leather upholstery is in rich patinated condition, with dark stains and discoloration all-over. Most remarkable is the half-moon shaped tubular frame which is holding the wide seating area, providing comfort to the sitter. The two thin circular frames which connect the seat and backrest are in contrast with the thick tubular frame, creating this disharmonic look which makes these items even have more visual excitement. The backrest is finished with beautiful geometrical forms and lines. A true modernist item that shows strong resemblance with the iconic tubular chairs of the 1930s by Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Overall, beautiful curved and straight lines with brass accents combine into a modern and clean design. Afra (1937-2011) & Tobia (1935-) Scarpa are a duo of Italian architects and designers mostly known for their postmodern style. Afra Bianchin was born in 1937 in Montebelluna while Tobia Scarpa, son of the architect Carlo Scarpa, was born in 1935 in Venice. The couple met when they were both studying at the Venice Institute of Architecture and married afterwards. From 1957 until 1961, Tobia worked as a glass designer at the Murano glassworks of Venini. However, in 1960, the duo started to collaborate, and they set up one of the most successful and well-known professional studios. Together, they worked for companies such as Flos Gavina, B&B Italia, and Knoll. The couple won numerous amounts of awards like the Compasso d’Oro and the International Forum Design. Throughout their career, the duo carried out commissions for well-known companies, including Benetton. Overall, their designs are known for their modernist aesthetic, prioritizing elegance and comfort. However, at the same time, their pieces are admired for the ease with which they lean towards classical designs. Moreover, the creations show their deep understanding for materials. Today, many of their works can be found in major museums such as Museum of Modern Art of New York, Musée du Louvre, National Museum of Design New York and many more.

Creator:

Afra & Tobia Scarpa (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 29.53 in (75 cm)Width: 21.66 in (55 cm)Depth: 22.05 in (56 cm)Seat Height: 16.34 in (41.5 cm)

Style:

Post-Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Brass,Leather,Steel

Place of Origin:

Italy

Period:

1980-1989

Date of Manufacture:

1985

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use. Every item Morentz offers is checked by our team of 30 craftsmen in our in-house workshop. Special restoration or reupholstery requests can be done. Check ‘About the item’ or ask our design specialists for detailed information on the condition.

Seller Location:

Waalwijk, NL

Reference Number:

Seller: 501110411stDibs: LU933135939552

View Invoice

Shop All Afra & Tobia Scarpa

Afra & Tobia Scarpa

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.

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.

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 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.)

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 Afra & Tobia Scarpa furniture today on 1stDibs.