Rare vintage first series P40 lounge chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno
View Similar Items
Rare vintage first series P40 lounge chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno
About the Item
- Creator:Osvaldo Borsani (Designer),Tecno (Manufacturer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 34.26 in (87 cm)Width: 27.96 in (71 cm)Depth: 39.38 in (100 cm)Seat Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1955
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. The chair has been professionally reupholstered with factory original Tecno grey herringbone fabric. It has some light scratches on the metal parts, visible in pictures.
- Seller Location:Milan, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4933223146812
Osvaldo Borsani
With his stylish and technically innovative furniture, Osvaldo Borsani helped change the face of Italian design in the 1950s and ’60s. His sofas and chairs, featuring deeply upholstered seating and adjustable position settings, have an aura of optimism and efficiency that still seems fresh and lively today.
Born in the commune of Varedo in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, Borsani studied at the Brera Academy in Milan — the same school attended by such luminaries as designer Piero Fornasetti and artist Lucio Fontana — as well as the Polytechnic University of Milan. Borsani first worked for his father’s furniture-making firm, Arredamenti Borsani, an atelier influenced by the more expressive and curvaceous wing of Art Deco design.
By 1953, when, along with his twin brother, Fulgenzio — the pair also created this visionary mid-century villa — Borsani opened the furniture company Tecno, his design sensibilities had evolved toward furnishings with strong, simple forms enhanced by mechanical innovations, as with the P40 adjustable armchair (1953). Borsani would be the firm’s lead designer for 30 years, while fostering work by Vico Magistretti, Carlo di Carli, Robin Day and others.
Similar to Gio Ponti in the earliest years of his career, Borsani first created designs marked by lush and buoyant lines: tables with voluptuous curved legs, sofas with undulating backrests. But Borsani’s best-known and most novel pieces date from Tecno’s initial furniture lines: the adjustable D70 sofa, which folds open to make a daybed, and the P40 recliner. The latter — now included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum — is an articulated lounger with a back, seat and leg rest that can be moved into 486 different positions. Not only is it extremely comfortable, it is also enduringly chic.
Find a collection of vintage Osvaldo Borsani tables, dining chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Tecno
Eugenio Gerli (b. 1923) is an Italian architect and industrial designer known for his long-lasting collaboration with the Italian architect-designer Osvaldo Borsani and the Italian manufacturer Tecno. In 1949, Gerli graduated with a degree in engineering and began his career a year later, opening his own architectural and industrial design practice. Architecturally, the firm focused on residential and public buildings, as well as the renovation of historic Italian buildings. Notable architectural projects include the Cardiology Clinic in Laveno-Mombello (1950), the Ambasciatori Theater in Milan (1954), the renovation and restoration of the Castiglioni Palace (1903). Gerli was joined by his two sons, Enrico and Guido, in the 1970s. In 1957, Gerli began a long and fruitful collaboration with the Borsani brothers, Fulgenzio and Osvaldo Borsani (1911–85), founders of the Italian furniture manufacturing company Tecno. In 1968, Gerli and Osvaldo Borsani exhibited their revolutionary Graphis Office System (1967) at the 14th Triennale di Milano. The system, which was made up of just three basic elements, was heralded as a revolution in office furniture design because the system’s modular components allowed unlimited and customizable combinations, which could grow (or contract) with the company. The system remained a bestseller for decades, and Tecno became synonymous for technologically-advanced design. The partnership between Gerli and Tecno lasted for more than 35 years. During the 1970s, Tecno launched its Centro Progetti Tecno (CPT), an in-house team dedicated to communications and industrial design work. The team, which included Gerli, Valeria Borsani, Kugo Toru, Borsani and his son Marco, became a driving force of technologically advanced ideas in design. Although Borsani remained in charge, the purpose of the department was to present future designs as group creations. The CPT was responsible for a number of the company’s successes, including the molded plastic Modus Office Chair (1972), which won the SMAU Prize in 1973; the steel mesh Waiting System (1983), a modular seating and table concept for large public spaces; and the rebranding of Alitalia worldwide (1982–84), for which Centro Progetti Tecno was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1984. Although Gerli's career as an architect-designer was prolific, his work is often overshadowed by his contemporaries and the legacy of his long-term partner, Osvaldo Borsani.
- First Edition P40 Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, 1960s, ItalyBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Renens, CHOsvaldo Borsani, an Italian architect and furniture designer, aimed to create a lounger that would go beyond the bulky, static nature of the “comfortable chair”. The result was the P40 lounge chair, which could be adjusted in many different positions depending on the user’s preferences. With the P40 lounge chair, Borsani created one of the most recognized pieces of the Italian post-war design movement. Available we have a first edition P40...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Pair of "P40" Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno 1950sBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Rovereta, SMP40 lounge chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. Adjustable backrest armrests and seat, expandable footrest. Leather cover...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Osvaldo Borsani "P40" Lounge Chair for Tecno S.p.A., Italy, 1950sBy Tecno, Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Utrecht, NLThe P40, designed in 1955, is not only the most famous design of Italian architect and designer, Osvaldo Borsani, but of Italian mid-century design as well. This model is part of the...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Vintage P40 lounge chair by Osvaldo BorsaniBy Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Milano, ITBorsani P40 Lounge Chair - Italian Collectible Furniture - Mid Century Armchair Designed in 1956 by Italian architect Osvaldo Borsani, the P40 lounge chair - where "P" stands for "Poltrona", Italian for armchair - is one of the most iconic pieces of Italian Mid-Century Modern design. With a revolutionary approach, Borsani created a finely engineered piece of seating. From the tubular legs and elastic rubber armrests to the reclining backrest, seat and footrest, the chair blends the comfort of traditional lounge chairs...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Stainless Steel
- P40 Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani Chair for TecnoBy Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Dallas, TXEarly production P40 lounge chair designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, Italy, 1950s. The lounge, with an extendable footrest, is designed to recline and can be set in several posit...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- convertible lounge chair P40 designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno 1954By Osvaldo Borsani, TecnoLocated in Offenburg, Baden WurthembergItalian modern TECNO P40 convertible lounge chair designed by Osvaldo Borsani in 1954 beautiful 1960ies edition cognac-brown leather. Second edition of the P40 lounge chair, with...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Mid-Century Master Osvaldo Borsani Gets His Due at Donzella
The New York City gallery has devoted its latest show to the work of the modernist Italian designer.
Peek inside Osvaldo Borsani’s Mod Italian Villa
The iconic mid-century estate outside of Milan opens its doors to the public for a very special homage.