Unique 3-Piece Maralunga Seating Group by Vico Magistretti for Cassina, Italy 19
View Similar Items
Unique 3-Piece Maralunga Seating Group by Vico Magistretti for Cassina, Italy 19
About the Item
- Creator:Vico Magistretti (Designer),Cassina (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 39.38 in (100 cm)Width: 90.56 in (230 cm)Depth: 31.5 in (80 cm)Seat Height: 17.33 in (44 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 3
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1973
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Voorburg, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2047313087391
Vico Magistretti
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.
Cassina
Furniture manufacturer Cassina is a prolific design house for more reasons than one: It not only owns the licenses to an exquisite collection of iconic chairs, sofas, tables and other pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries but also produces original works that are characterized by innovation and the finest Italian craftsmanship.
Cassina’s illustrious legacy includes being one of the first companies to bring industrial design to Italy in the 1950s. Founded in 1927 in Meda, Italy, by brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina, the Italian manufacturing giant originally specialized in bespoke woodworking. In nearly a century since its founding, the company has shown incredible foresight about design trends and the evolution of technology.
In 1964, Cassina signed an exclusive licensing agreement to manufacture furniture by Le Corbusier and his collaborators — such as the LC4 chaise longue made with trailblazing French modernist Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret — a move that would shape the future of the company. Cassina’s I Maestri collection is an ongoing initiative to restyle landmark designs from the 20th century, such as pieces by Gerrit Rietveld (the Red and Blue armchair from 1918), Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Erik Gunnar Asplund, Franco Albini and Frank Lloyd Wright. The company preserves the intentions and original styles of their designs but adds updated techniques, materials and processes — rendering them the best possible combination of past, present and future. The brand has also worked with contemporary icons like Zaha Hadid, Gio Ponti and Philippe Starck.
Cassina’s original designs are cutting-edge as well. They include pieces for everyday use, the development of which is guided by comfort and the marriage of Italian craftsmanship with industrial technology.
Some of Cassina’s pieces, both from its contemporary and I Maestri collections, can be found in the collections of museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Vitra Design Museum. In 2014, the company became part of Haworth in its acquisition of Italian furniture group Poltrona Frau, and in 2015, Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola joined Cassina as its art director, leading the brand into its next century of inventive style.
Find a collection of new and vintage Cassina furniture on 1stDibs.
- Two-Seat Maralunga Leather Sofa by Vico Magistretti for CassinaBy Cassina, Vico MagistrettiLocated in Voorburg, NLA wonderful Maralunga sofa by Vico Magistretti for Cassina. This beauty was designed in 1973 and quickly became a design Classic. Its clever design incorporates manipulatable back cu...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Norwegian Teak, Leather Kengu Sofa Set by Elsa & Nordahl Solheim for Rybo RykkenBy Elsa and Nordahl Solheim, Rybo RykkenLocated in Voorburg, NLBeautiful and rare Kengu sofa set designed by Elsa & Nordahl Solheim for the Norwegian firm Rybo Rykken Furniture Co. Made of bent teak with an upholstery of perfectly chocolate brow...Category
Mid-20th Century Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Living Room Sets
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- Modern Marinelli Two-Seat Black Leather Sofa, ItalyBy Marinelli Home 1Located in Voorburg, NLAmazing black leather two seat sofa manufactured by Marinelli of Italy. This sofa is very solid and extremely comfortable to sit in. The so...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
$3,404 Sale Price20% Off - Mid Century 3-seat Sofa by De Ster Gelderland, HollandBy De Ster GelderlandLocated in Voorburg, NLMid Century teak sofa produced and designed by de Ster Gelderland, Holland 1950s-1960s. Three-seat sofa in original state with new upholstery with cream toned tweet. Very beautiful o...Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool, Teak
- Exclusive Vico Magistretti Style Dining Table with Six Dining ChairsBy Vico Magistretti, CassinaLocated in Voorburg, NLVery practical and original mid century dining table with six matching chairs attributed to Vico Magistretti, produced by Cassina (attr.). Made in Italy, dating from the ‘60s. This b...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
MaterialsPapercord, Beech
- Brazilian Oak and Olive Green Leather 3-Seat Sofa, Jean GillonBy Jean GillonLocated in Voorburg, NLA wonderful original matching 1970s Brazilian sofa attributed to Jean Gillon. This amazing comfortable 3-seater has a unique washed dark-grey oak frame and soft Brazilian leather cus...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- Maralunga sofa set by Vico Magistretti for CassinaBy Cassina, Vico MagistrettiLocated in Langemark-Poelkapelle, BEIconic Mid-Century Modern "Maralunga" 2-seater sofa and armchair by Vico Magistretti for Cassina. Designed in 1973. They are also extremely comfortable due to their adjustable head a...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets
MaterialsFabric
Sold$3,404 / set - Maralunga Sofa by Vico Magistretti for CassinaBy Cassina, Vico MagistrettiLocated in Chicago, ILc. 1990s. Original leather upholstery with articulating backrests. Tagged.Category
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Maralunga sofa by Vico Magistretti for Cassina, 1970sBy Cassina, Vico MagistrettiLocated in Lasne, BESofa in creamy white fabric. It is possible to open the backrest for more comfort. Height when open: 96 cm. Seat height: 44 cm. Wear due to time and age.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Maralunga Sofas by Vico Magistretti for Cassina, 1970sBy Cassina, Vico MagistrettiLocated in Almelo, NLMaralunga sofas by Vico Magistretti for Cassina, 1970s An exemplary version of the iconic Maralunga sofas in original vintage fabric. The ov...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel
- Vico Magistretti, Pastel Colored Sofa Model Veranda for Cassina, 1980sBy Vico Magistretti, CassinaLocated in Schagen, NLThis multicolored and adjustable sofa was designed by Vico Magistretti for Cassina, circa 1980s. This smart and highly desirable Italian design features seats that are upholstered wi...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Maralunga Vico Magistretti Cassina, 1973By Vico MagistrettiLocated in Arezzo, ItalySet of 2 armchairs and 2 seater sofa designed by Vico Magistretti for Cassina, 1973. The project won the Compasso d' Oro in 1979 and is one of the most widely sold pieces of Italian design. "With Maralunga...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets
MaterialsSteel
$8,347 Sale Price / set20% Off
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Billy Cotton Layers His Interiors with Lived-In Comfort
The Brooklyn-based designer is adept at styles ranging from austere to over-the-top, espousing an architectural, detail-oriented approach also evident in his line of furniture and lighting.