Antonio Citterio, 'Sity' Sofa for B&B Italia, 1980s
About the Item
- Creator:Antonio Citterio (Designer),B&B Italia (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32.29 in (82 cm)Width: 86.62 in (220 cm)Depth: 38.59 in (98 cm)
- Style:Post-Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1980-1989
- Date of Manufacture:1980s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Greding, DE
- Reference Number:
Antonio Citterio
Driven by his belief that beautiful surroundings can heighten the enjoyment of even mundane everyday rituals, Italian architect and industrial designer Antonio Citterio creates furniture that combines sophisticated form with functionality. Citterio’s timeless neoclassical-inspired chairs, outdoor furniture, desks and other pieces have earned him a place among the most influential furniture designers working in his native country.
Born in 1950 in Meda, Citterio grew up just a stone's throw away from the artistic hub of Milan. In 1972, at just 22 years old, he opened his first design studio and designed a chair for the La Rinascente department store while completing his studies in architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan. Citterio established a partnership with famed furniture designer Terry Dwan, and the pair worked together during the 1980s and 1990s, designing striking buildings in European cities as well as Japan. He is currently chairperson at an interior design and architecture firm with fellow architect Patricia Viel and eight other partners.
Citterio taught at the Università della Svizzera Italiana in Mendrisio, Switzerland, from 2006 to 2016. He holds art director roles for high-end furniture manufacturers Maxalto, Arclinea and Azucena, and today, Citterio lounge chairs, sofas and other furnishings are in hotels all over the world. Citterio’s work is synonymous with luxury, and has yielded collaborations with reputable brands such as Kartell, Knoll, Flexform, Vitra and B&B Italia. His Sity seating collection for the latter and kitchen furnishings for Arclinea are among his best-known innovations.
Citterio has received many awards and accolades for his design work, including the Compasso d’Oro. He was also given the title of “Royal Designer for Industry” by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts in 2008.
Find Antonio Citterio seating, lighting, tables, case pieces and other furniture on 1stDibs.
B&B Italia
In 1966, Piero Ambrogio Busnelli cofounded C&B Italia, a modern Italian furniture manufacturer, with Cesare Cassina in northern Milan. From the outset, Busnelli and Cassina set about recruiting the most talented modernists in Italy to conceive of creative furnishings manufactured in modern ways. In the early 1970s, the company split, with Cassina founding his own eponymous firm and Busnelli taking leadership of what became B&B Italia.
For decades, Busnelli cultivated relationships with the world’s best design talent, resulting in furniture pieces that remain iconic today — be they Gaetano Pesce’s outwardly curvaceous Up seating (made for C&B, reintroduced by B&B) or tables from industrial designer Paolo Piva, each more sophisticated than the next in their geometrically complex steel-tube bases. B&B Italia earned four prestigious Compasso d’Oro design awards: in 1979 for Mario Bellini’s Le Bambole, in 1984 for the Sisamo wardrobe system by Studio Kairos, in 1987 for Antonio Citterio’s modular Sity sofa and, in 1989, the first award given to a manufacturing company itself.
Other notable names who designed for B&B Italia over the course of its 54-year history include Patricia Urquiola, Naoto Fukasawa, Zaha Hadid, Ettore Sottsass and Vincent Van Duysen, to name a very few. And while these names bring star power to the B&B brand, in many cases, it was B&B Italia who helped usher in their celebrity, fostering a wave of design talent on the world stage.
The company’s forward-thinking vision manifested in its own headquarters, too: In 1972, B&B Italia tapped architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers to design a steel-framed, postmodern-style home for the brand, whose crisscrossing metal exoskeleton is reminiscent of the pair’s Centre Pompidou in Paris, which was built at roughly the same time. Now, B&B Italia manages a contract division and outdoor section as well as its residential arm, and it also controls production for Maxalto, a brand spun out with furniture designs by Antonio Citterio.
At 1stDibs, find a range of vintage B&B Italia furniture — including sofas, cocktail tables and more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Greding, Germany
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Two "Diesis" two-seaters by Antonio Citterio & Paolo Nava for B&B Italia, 1970sBy Antonio Citterio, Paolo NavaLocated in Greding, DEPair of two-seater sofas, Diesis model, designed by Antonio Citterio and Paolo Nova for B&B Italia. The sofas stand on a metal frame and are fitted with thick cushions. The red uphol...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Coffee Table Alanda, Chromed Metal, attributed to Paolo Piva for B&B Italy 1980sBy Paolo Piva, B&B ItaliaLocated in Greding, DESquare coffee table, model Alanda, with glass top and chromed metal frame. Attributed to Paolo Piva for B&B Italia.Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Biedermeier Sofa, Prob. Vienna, circa 1830Located in Greding, DEVery beautiful Biedermeier sofa on carved feet in the shape of fluted scroll ornaments. The s-shaped armrests are decorated with beautiful stylized fern ornaments. The backrest is st...Category
Antique 1830s Austrian Biedermeier Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Walnut
- Biedermeier Sofa, Probably Mainz Around 1830Located in Greding, DEBiedermeier sofa, veneered in walnut with carved swan decorations. The sofa has been reupholstered and professionally restored.Category
Antique 1830s German Biedermeier Sofas
MaterialsWalnut
- Biedermeier Sofa with carved Swan Décor, veneered in Walnut, Germany, circa 1830Located in Greding, DEBiedermeier sofa with straight frame and rounded backrest. The couch is veneered in walnut and decorated with carved swans on the high armrests. The sofa has been expertly restored and hand polished as well as reupholstered. The high-quality upholstery fabric is patterned with black diamonds on a white background on the seat and backrest and has a mottled black and white design on the armrests. The cushions are designed to match and give the light sofa...Category
Antique Early 19th Century German Biedermeier Sofas
MaterialsWalnut, Fabric
- Sling Lounge Chair by Hannah & Morrison for Knoll International, 1980sLocated in Greding, DEPair of sling lounge chairs with white aluminum frames and brown cover.Category
Vintage 1980s European Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Baisity Sofa by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia, 1980sBy Antonio Citterio, B&B ItaliaLocated in HEVERLEE, BERare vintage 'Baisity' sofa designed by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia. This two seater sofa has the recognisable armrests, typical for this sofa. Original leather. Good ov...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Sity Sofa by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia, 1986By Antonio CitterioLocated in Premariacco, ITClassic of Italian design, this Sity sofa by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia presents itself in its elegance and refinement with a two-seater section, a corner section and a single s...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Plastic
- 1980s B&b Italia Antonio Citterio Sity Sofa Sectional in Green and Eggshell-- 2By B&B Italia, Antonio CitterioLocated in Basel, BSMagnificent and very comfortable vintage Antonio Citterio 1980s Sity Sofa for B&B Italia. The Manufacturer's mark is present. The sofa is completely made of a very high quality eggsh...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- 1980s B&B Italia Antonio Citterio Sity Sofa Sectional in Maroon and EggshellBy B&B Italia, Antonio CitterioLocated in Basel, BSMagnificent and very comfortable vintage Antonio Citterio 1980s Sity Sofa for B&B Italia. The Manufacturer's mark is present. The sofa is completely made of a very high quality eggsh...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Sity Sofa by Antonio Citterio for B&BBy Antonio CitterioLocated in Piacenza, ItalyDesigned by Antonio Citterio in 1986 for B&B Italia, this "Sity" sectional sofa contains one asymmetrical curved island daybed and a rectangular daybed.Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Fabric
- Modular Sofa by Antonio Citterio for B&B ItaliaBy B&B Italia, Antonio CitterioLocated in BREDA, NLA sofa extravaganza in soft calf leather. Made by B&B Italia, designed by Antonio Citterio. The set named 'LUIS' contains 7 modular units that can be combined in several set-ups. Th...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Rooms We Love: 11 Splendid Living Rooms
Common wisdom used to declare the kitchen the hub of the house. These days, the living room seems to have assumed the role of domestic focal point. Unlike the Victorian parlor, stiffly furnished and reserved for guests, today’s living room is a central place for reading, conversation and, well, living, with furnishings that lend themselves to both casual lounging and elegant entertaining.
Vincent Van Duysen Imbues Minimalism with Warmth
The Antwerp-based designer lends his unique touch to homes, boutiques and offices in Belgium, the United States and Germany, as well as furniture for B&B Italia and Molteni.