Paolo Piva "Alanda" Adjustable Sofa in Tan Sueded Leather, 1980
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Paolo Piva "Alanda" Adjustable Sofa in Tan Sueded Leather, 1980
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 28 in (71.12 cm)Width: 102 in (259.08 cm)Depth: 41 in (104.14 cm)Seat Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1980-1989
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1980s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Excellent vintage condition. Sofa exhibits very minor signs of wear and staining considering age. All movement mechanisms function perfectly.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU223535425753
Paolo Piva
Juxtaposing sleek curves with angular, geometric shapes, the sophisticated minimalism of Paolo Piva’s furniture made him one of the most significant mid-century modern designers. Using understated, classic materials such as patent leather and glass, he created furniture that is as timeless as the buildings he designed as an internationally renowned architect. Piva’s armchairs, floor lamps and other furniture pieces were built to withstand changing tastes.
Born in 1950 in Adria in northern Italy, Piva pursued his career in design and architecture at the International University of the Arts in Venice under renowned architect Carlo Scarpa. While a student, he also worked with the Akademie für Angewandte Kunst in Vienna and the Institute of History and Architecture in Venice to create a major exhibition on Viennese architecture during the socialist period.
Gaining notice during his graduate studies in Rome, Piva established himself as an up-and-coming architect. In 1980, he emerged on the international scene with an acclaimed design for the Kuwait Embassy in Qatar, which led to design commissions for buildings and factories across Western Europe. At the same time, Piva began designing furniture that reflected the clean lines and artful forms of his building style. His most popular piece was the Pyramid coffee table, with inverted pyramids supporting a glass top.
A lifelong academic, Piva began teaching at the Akademie für Angewandte Kunst in 1988, becoming a full professor in 1991. He also collaborated with top brands, including Poliform, de Sede, B&B Italia, Wittmann and Riva 1920, designing center tables, club chairs and other furniture items. He continued his design pursuits throughout his life, traveling to conferences and exhibitions internationally up until his death in 2017.
Piva gained a nomination for the Compasso d’Oro award in 1987 and was one of the architects selected to design the Science and Technology Park in Vienna in 1995. His work has been exhibited at Galerie Ulysses in Vienna and the Architekturgalerie München in Munich, as well as in the VI Mostra internazionale di Architettura della Biennale di Buenos Aires.
On 1stDibs, delve into the graceful simplicity and elegant geometry of Paolo Piva’s lighting, tables, seating, and other furniture and collectibles.
Stendig Co.
Stendig Co. played a pivotal role in introducing modern European furniture to the American market, thanks to the business acumen of founder Charles Stendig.
Around 1950, the Brooklyn, New York–born Stendig (1924–2024) worked for Raymor, a purveyor of modern china and accessories that is best known for distributing designer Russel Wright’s American Modern line of ceramics. While at Raymor, Stendig focused on the company’s less popular pieces that were made in Italy and Scandinavia, recognizing their potential for the American market. In 1955, he left the company and decided to establish Stendig Co.
That year, a chance encounter with a Finnish trade representative led him to furniture company Asko — one of the largest companies operating in Scandinavia. Asko invited him and Joseph Carreiro, a professor at the Philadelphia College of Art (now the University of the Arts), to help refine their designs.
At Asko’s production facility in Finland, Stendig met several renowned Finnish designers such as Ilmari Tapiovaara, Tapio Wirkkala and Eero Aarnio, the iconic Ball chair creator. Stendig’s trip there was a success, and Stendig Co. began importing Finnish furniture to the United States.
In 1956, the first Stendig Co. showroom opened in Manhattan. A year later, during a trip to Zurich, Stendig came across a Bauhaus–inspired furniture store featuring pieces by Swiss designers Kurt Thut, Hans Eichenberger and Robert Haussmann, the store’s co-owner. Following a meeting with Haussmann, Stendig became the retailer’s exclusive U.S. distributor.
Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, Stendig Co. imported and sold furniture from influential European designers, including Swiss designer Bruno Rey, Italian architect and industrial designer Vico Magistretti and Hungarian-American architect and designer Marcel Breuer, creator of the Wassily lounge chair.
By the late 1960s, Stendig Co. moved its headquarters to an expansive space on Manhattan’s East Side and opened showrooms in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago, each home to the company’s striking collection of mid-century European armchairs, sofas, dining room chairs, coffee tables and other furnishings. Stendig’s founder was by then representing Italian manufacturers Poltronova and Gufram and bringing revolutionary works of Italian Radical design to American shores.
In 1971, Charles Stendig sold the company to Burlington Industries. He retired in 1976. Today Stendig’s European imports are coveted by interior designers and vintage furniture collectors, and he will be forever known as the man who introduced modern European design to the United States.
Find a range of vintage Stendig Co. furniture on 1stDibs.
- Paolo Piva, Alanda, Sofa, B&B Italia, 1980sBy B&B Italia, Paolo PivaLocated in Paris, FRPaolo Piva Alanda A rectangular two-seater sofa with mobile headrests and armrests covered with its multicolored original fabric upholstery. Original edition by B&B Italia. With B&B Italia label. Italy. Circa 1980. Dimensions Height : 74 cm With headrests raised : 88 cm Width : 210 cm With armrests raised : 194 cm Depth : 106 cm With headrests raised : 86 cm Height of seat : 42 cm Literature Domus 633, November 1982, p.26-29 Domus 634, December 1982, p.22-23 Giuliana Gramigna, Repertorio del design italiano 1950-2000 per l'arredamento domestico, Umberto Allemandi, 2003, p.277 Mario Mastropietro, Rolando Gorla, Un’industria per il design : la ricerca i designers, l’immagine B&B Italia, Edizioni Lybra Immagine, Milano, 1986, p.394-397. Paolo Piva Paolo Piva was born in Adria in 1950. He studied architecture at the Venice Istituto Universitario di Architettura under the direction of Carlo Scarpa and Carlo Aymonino. He practiced architecture and industrial design mainly in Italy and Austria. In 1990, he became a professor at the Hochschule für Angewande Kunst in Vienna. He designed factories in Italy, such as in Misinto for B&B Italia, galeries such as Schullin in Vienna for which he was awarded the « Adolf Loos » prize in 1994. In 1996, he designed book-shops and cafeterias for the Venetian Civic Museums. The same year, he participated in the 6th International Exhibition of Architecture at the Venice Biennale. Alanda The idea behind the Alanda was to create a « mobile » piece of furniture. Developed with the B&B Research Centre, the mechanism allows different positions following the changing needs of the user. « Alanda was conceived as an open object...Category
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