Franco Albini Ps16 Rocking Chair Poggi, Italy, 1959

About the Item

Iconic designed rocking chair model PS16 designed by Franco Albini and manufactured by Poggi, Italy 1959. This is a beautiful, comfortable and important piece of mid 20th century modern design designed by one of the biggest designers Italy had in the mid of the 20th century. This super shaped rocking chair has a solid bent walnut structure, with canvas seating area which supports the seating cushion which we reupholstered in cream white alpaca upholstery. The canvas seating part is beautifully attached to the frame with a rope which is almost sculpturally attached to the structure. The structure of the chair is in fully original condition and has a beautiful patina to the wood and canvas where its authenticity is clearly visible. We choose not to fuly restore the piece as we think this brings character to the piece but refinishing can always be done upon request. The chair is super comforatable, and comes with its original wooden weight to keep the cushion in place with the leather bands. All in all a super nice piece of mid century modern design which deserves a place to shine. Like all of our upholstered pieces these can also be newly upholstered to your admiration. Ask our experienced upholstery department for an affordable quote for the item you want customized. We only use the best quality fabrics, foam and materials for all of our items. With the reupholstery we will keep the originality in mind so the piece doesn’t lose its value and will be ready for years of use again.

Creator:
Franco Albini (Designer),Poggi (Manufacturer)
Design:
Rocking Chaise
Dimensions:
Height: 29.53 in (75 cm)Width: 64.97 in (165 cm)Depth: 27.56 in (70 cm)Seat Height: 13.78 in (35 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Alpaca,Canvas,Teak
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1950-1959
Date of Manufacture:
1959
Condition:
Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. Only the cushions have been reupholstered in alpaca wool, the rest of the chairs is in fully original and untouched condition with a striking patina and character.
Seller Location:
Roosendaal, NL
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU933030034712
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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.

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