Mario Marenco Marius&Marius Three Seater Sofa in Cognac Leather by Arflex 1970s

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Mario Marenco Marius&Marius Three Seater Sofa in Cognac Leather by Arflex 1970s

About the Item

Marius & Marius three-seater sofa with structure in wood and lacquered metal, back, seat and armrests in padded cognac leather. Marius&Marius sofa was designed by Mario Marenco, as a part of the Techniform series, and it was manufactured by Arflex in the 1970s. Mario Marenco was born in 1933. He studied architecture in Naples and won research grants for Stockholm and Chicago. In 1960 he opened in Rome his own atelier of architecture and design named Studio DEGW in Rome. During his career as an architect, he taught at the University of Sydney and worked with companies such as B&B, Arflex, and Poltrona Frau. Mario Marenco is also known for his appearances on TV but his career as an actor and humorist has never overshadowed his predisposition for design. Arflex was founded in 1947, when a group of three Pirelli technicians teamed up with the young architect Marco Zanuso to experiment with materials for the furniture industry. Their idea was simple – how could new materials and technologies be applied to the making of upholstery, to help modernise both the production of the pieces and the designs themselves. After extensive research and development, the results were presented to the public for the first time at the IX Triennale in Milan in 1951, where the new designs won the Gold Medal. Arflex then went on to forge a reputation for excellence in manufacturing, creating aesthetically beautiful designs with new technologies and materials. They embraced the innovation of the 1960s, which saw the development of a range of designs in polyester resins and fibreglass, while also expanding their manufacturing base across Europe. As well as creating leading-edge designs in the domestic market, Arflex have worked extensively in the automotive industry. They have maintained a reputation for combining innovation with elegance. In recent years they have created award-winning designs with Swedish architects Claesson Koivisto Rune, while a number of original Arflex designs have been incorporated into permanent collections worldwide, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Creator:
Mario Marenco (Designer),Arflex (Manufacturer)
Dimensions:
Height: 24.81 in (63 cm)Width: 82.68 in (210 cm)Depth: 33.47 in (85 cm)Seat Height: 13.78 in (35 cm)
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Leather,Metal,Wood,Other
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1970-1979
Date of Manufacture:
1970s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Very good vintage condition.
Seller Location:
Montecatini Terme, IT
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU5304232517302

Shop All Arflex

Arflex

From its unorthodox beginnings, Italian manufacturer Arflex grew into one of the leaders of 20th-century furniture design. Its furniture came to be known for its integration of new materials and bold appeal, and today a variety of vintage Arflex chairs, sofas and tables are emblems of mid-century modernism.

Arflex was established in Milan in 1947 by Pirelli employees Carlo Barassi, Pio Reggiani, Renato Teani and Aldo Bai. Barassi, a Milan Polytechnic graduate and visionary engineer at the Italian tire manufacturer, explored innovative technology and new uses for synthetic materials in domestic products (for Kartell, he codeveloped a ski rack for automobiles). The four founders partnered with a young architect named Marco Zanuso, who also desired to create furniture that featured an application of novel materials such as elastic tape and polyurethane foam.

One of Arflex’s inaugural pieces was Zanuso’s Lady armchair, a seat made of polyurethane foam that was manufactured in pieces and assembled at the very end of the production process. It won a gold medal at the 1951 Milan Triennale. A couple of years later, Arflex collaborated with Studio BBPR to create the office-chic Elettra and Neptunia chairs. The flourishing furniture company quickly established a reputation for compelling products and attracting and working with up-and-coming designers such as Roberto Menghi, who created Hall, a luxurious line of seating that would earn the Compasso d’Oro – Honorable Mention in 1959.

In the 1960s, Arflex continued to welcome the use of new and cutting-edge materials. Popular designs from this decade include Carlo Bartoli's fiberglass and polyester resin Gaia lounge chair and Cini Boer’s Bobo Relax lounger, one of history’s first seating pieces made of polyurethane foam (it has no internal frame). Boer, a pioneer of furniture design in Italy, also created the Strips sofa for the brand in 1972. Part of a plush modular seating system, the Strips sofa became an Arflex icon and was awarded the Compasso d'Oro in 1979.

Arflex continues to work with innovative designers to this day. Among their more recent collaborations is with Swedish design studio Claesson Koivisto Rune. The company's legendary creations are also on display at museums worldwide. The Lady chair, for example, is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

On 1stDibs, you can find a collection of vintage Arflex lounge chairs, armchairs, coffee tables and other furniture.