Exquisite Pair of Artifort Alky Chairs by Giancarlo Piretti

In the 1960s, Giancarlo Piretti (b. 1940), who earned a degree in art education at the Academy of Fine Arts of Bologna and taught interior design, began working with the Italian manufacturer Castelli, where he would go on to produce some of the most popular chairs in the world. In 1969, he debuted the Alky, a sculptural, modernized riff on a slipper chair that appears to float above the ground.

Unlike most chairs, the Alky doesn’t have a distinctive base and seat; rather the entire form appears as one continuous piece, originally upholstered in velvet and wool and set on narrow, aluminum feet.

Much of Piretti’s popularity in the United States can be attributed to Castelli’s exhibition “The Piretti Collection” at the 1988 iteration of the NeoCon design exposition in Chicago. There, his ergonomic office seating earned him a slew of awards and led to increased global attention.

Compared to Piretti’s widely revered folding chairs and wheeling desk chairs (the Plia, of which millions have sold, is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art; the DSC 106 is among Castelli’s best known), the Alky — no longer in production — is by far the most sumptuous design. Yet, as much as its shapely silhouette has made it a favorite of interior designers in residential and commercial spaces alike, it is also rooted in comfort. Its foam-covered back and seat give soft resistance, and the Alky chair’s organic shape perfectly cradles the sitter — a true mark of the modernist dedication to human-centric design.

The sterling reputation that Artifort enjoys isn’t limited to the innovative upholstery and fluid, organic shapes for which its products are widely known — the legendary Dutch brand’s vintage seating and other furniture is also celebrated for its embodiment of functionality, comfort and quality. These are among the principles that underpin the philosophy toward modern furniture design at Artifort, which has been at the crossroads of furniture and art for over 125 years.

Prior to 1928, the year Artifort officially became a brand, Jules Wagemans had a small upholstery business in Maastricht, the Netherlands. After setting up in 1890, his son, Henricus Wagemans, broadened the scope of the company to include furniture production. By the end of the 1920s, their showroom in Amsterdam had made them a recognizable brand across the Netherlands.

Then named H. Wagemans & Van Tuien, the company changed its name to Artifort after the economic recession. Artifort came from two Latin words meaning “art” and “strong” — a perfect description for the style of each design and the manufacturer’s intention to create sturdy furnishings. Artifort’s reputation for durable armchairs and sofas endures, and vintage editions of this seating are now family heirlooms in many homes.

Artifort became a magnet for high-profile and up-and-coming designers alike. Many furniture designers’ careers began thanks to collaborations with Artifort, such as Dutch industrial and jewelry designer Gijs Bakker and Indonesian-born designer Kho Liang Ie. Also known for designing the interiors at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, Kho Liang Ie was an aesthetic consultant at Artifort and used his expertise to turn the company into a world-class brand. Perhaps his largest contribution, however, was attracting the talents of French furniture and interior designer Pierre Paulin and English furniture designer Geoffrey D. Harcourt.

Paulin’s bright and colorful lounge chairs, such as his Orange Slice chair and Mushroom chair, are still central to the Artifort identity. The revered designer not only introduced new construction techniques to Artifort furniture, but contributed fresh materials, Pop art colors and dazzling shapes to the mid-century modern era as a whole, while Harcourt deserves credit for popularizing Artifort internationally and extending their reach into foreign markets.

Another talent boom in the 1990s at Artifort yielded collaborations with Jasper Morrison, Wolfgang Mezger and René Holten. Iranian designer Khodi Feiz was named art director in 2014 and has continued the tradition of recruiting top designers such as Claesson Koivisto Rune, Ilse Crawford and Luca Nichetto.

Find a collection of vintage Artifort lounge chairs, tables and more on 1stDibs.