Fiorenza Armchair and Stool by Franco Albini for Arflex
View Similar Items
Fiorenza Armchair and Stool by Franco Albini for Arflex
About the Item
- Creator:Franco Albini (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 40.56 in (103 cm)Width: 28.75 in (73 cm)Depth: 36.23 in (92 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2018
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Munich, DE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1005014567781
Franco Albini
While working under the polymath Gio Ponti — arguably the most important figure in 20th-century Italian modernism — furniture designer Franco Albini nurtured a love for modern forms combined with traditional craft techniques.
Albini is widely known for working with organic materials such as rattan and cane for his chairs and other seating, but he also played a pivotal role in the Italian rationalist movement of the early 20th century, which saw architects and furniture makers applying a strict emphasis on geometry in their work. Rationalists drew on Ancient Roman architecture but rejected ornament, much in the way that Le Corbusier and celebrated Bauhaus figures such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe had in their modernist furniture.
Albini received his degree in architecture from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1929, and, in 1931, he founded his practice in Milan, where he tackled workers’ housing and other reconstruction projects. A gifted urban planner, he also developed the Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Rosso and Tesoro di San Lorenzo museums in Genoa. While Albini is revered for his Margherita chair — a Triennale Milano award winner created for Bonacina in 1951 — he also collaborated with manufacturers Poggi and Cassina in the 1940s on seating, tables and more that embodied his artistic vision. Of that mid-century work, the one piece that perhaps best captures this vision is the iconic Luisa chair.
With its cherry red upholstery and sinuous wooden legs that seem to float aboveground, the Luisa is a genuine masterpiece. It is also a testament to Albini’s perfectionism, as it endured several prototypes — including one made by Knoll in the late 1940s — and took approximately 15 years to design. Poggi launched the final version of the armchair in 1955, earning Albini the prestigious Compasso d’Oro from Italy’s Association for Industrial Design. It is produced today by Cassina. Albini named the chair for someone who likely saw the process firsthand: his personal secretary of two decades, Luisa Colombini.
Find vintage Franco Albini furniture on 1stDibs.
- Very Rare Set of Two Lounge Chairs and Stool by CassinaBy CassinaLocated in Munich, DEFoam and wonderful fabric in good condition. Very rare low back version - used by gio ponti for the famous hotel parco dei principi in sorrento. Made by Cassina.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric
$5,493 Sale Price / set28% Off - Cozy and elegant augusto bozzi armchair - model goldenBy Augusto Bozzi, Fratelli SaporitiLocated in Munich, DEdesigned by Augusto Bozzi and manufactured by Fratelli Saporiti.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Rare and Important Lounge Chair by Hein StolleBy Hein StolleLocated in Munich, DEDesigned in 1956 and made by 't Specturm, Bergeyk. All original condition.Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWood
$2,600 Sale Price25% Off - Amazing 120-LF Tulip Lounge Chair by Erwin and Estelle LaverneBy Erwine & Estelle LaverneLocated in Munich, DEAn wonderful organic design made from fiberglass.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFiberglass
- Jens Risom Lounge Chair for Knoll InternationalBy Jens RisomLocated in Munich, DEJens Risom lounge chair for Knoll International. Webbing redone. model no. 652. LOCATED IN HAMBURGCategory
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWood
- breathtaking pair of costela lounge chairs by carlo hauner and martin eislerBy Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler, Forma NovaLocated in Munich, DEwonderful pair of Carlo Hauner and Martin Eisler lounge chairs. made by forma nova in the 1950thies and still in wonderful shape. the light walnut is very shiny and the edges are lig...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Franco Albini rare "Fiorenza" lounge chair for Arflex, Italy, 1953By Franco Albini, ArflexLocated in Skokie, ILThis highly collectible model was manufactured by Arflex for only one year. An early variant of the iconic "Fiorenza" armchair, this stunning pair of armchairs consist of a sculptura...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Armchair "Fiorenza" designed by Franco Albini in 1952 for Arflex, Italy.By Franco Albini, ArflexLocated in Wolfurt, ATArmchair "Fiorenza," designed by Franco Albini in 1952 for Arflex, Italy. A highly collectible model produced for only one year by Arflex. This stunning pair of armchairs features sc...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Mid-Century Modern Red Armchair Fiorenza by Franco Albini for Arflex, ItalyBy Franco AlbiniLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern Armchair Fiorenza by Franco Albini for Arflex, Italy.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Armchair "Fiorenza" in Original Red Color, by Franco Albini in 1952 for ArflexBy Franco Albini, ArflexLocated in Wolfurt, ATThis pair of Italian "Fiorenza" armchairs was designed by Franco Albini for Arflex. The elegantly shaped wooden frame supports the furniture body, which is covered with the original ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Franco Albini ArmchairBy Franco Albini, ArflexLocated in New York, NY"Fiorenza" Armchair by Franco Albini for Arflex. Walnut, brass, mohair upholstery. Early variant of this wing chair with x-cross sides, brass caps and straps. One of the earliest va...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMohair, Walnut
$29,000 - Arflex Fiorenza Armchair in Steelcut Blue Fabric & Black Frame by Franco AlbiniBy Franco Albini, ArflexLocated in Brooklyn, NYSymbol of comfort, Fiorenza armchair appears in Pirelli's 1950s advertisement as symbol of the foam rubber potential, considered at that time the mos...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric