Soriana Three-Seat Sofa and Pair of Lounge Chairs by Afra & Tobia Scarpa
View Similar Items
Soriana Three-Seat Sofa and Pair of Lounge Chairs by Afra & Tobia Scarpa
About the Item
- Creator:Cassina (Manufacturer),Afra & Tobia Scarpa (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 24.5 in (62.23 cm)Width: 97 in (246.38 cm)Depth: 36 in (91.44 cm)Seat Height: 15.5 in (39.37 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 3
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1970's
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Wearing of fabric around the buttons.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: CJ15010421stDibs: LU101962551202
Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Widely recognized as superstars of postmodern Italian design, husband-and-wife team Afra and Tobia Scarpa (1937–2011; b. 1935) collaboratively created chairs, sofas and other furniture that work equally well in both traditional and cutting-edge environments.
Ranging from architecture and interior design to furniture and clothing, the Scarpas’ practice from its beginnings in the mid-1950s to the 21st century has included a diverse scope of projects combining new technology with thoughtful function and sculptural yet simple forms.
Afra Bianchin and Tobia Scarpa met as architecture students at the Università Iuav di Venezia. In a class led by architect and furniture designer Franco Albini, they created their first collaborative piece, the Pigreco armchair, later produced with Gavina. After graduating in 1957, Tobia worked for Murano glass company Venini & Co. before the couple opened a studio in Afra’s hometown, Montebelluna, in 1960. (Tobia, the son of famed glass artist and architect Carlo Scarpa, was born in Venice.)
For Afra and Tobia, a close collaborative process was pivotal to the success of their designs. The duo was also prolific — they designed for the most influential European manufacturers, including B&B Italia, Cassina, Knoll and FLOS. With respect to the latter, Afra and Tobia were among the legendary Italian lighting maker’s earliest collaborators, and their pioneering designs for the brand included the Papillon lamp, one of the first fixtures to use halogen technology. Their most recognized designs include the Bastiano sofa (1962), the Vanessa bed (1959), the Coronado sofa (1966) and the Soriana seating collection (1970). Work on the Soriana sofa began in late 1969 for an early 1970 debut, and it feels as radical today as it did in its heyday.
Architecture was also a central part of Afra and Tobia’s practice, which spanned residential buildings and factories for Italian companies such as Benetton. Their commissions for the global fashion brand included numerous industrial projects, from textile plants to storefronts. By 1985, Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work was celebrated in a 30-year retrospective at Center Four in Queens, New York. Looking around the 30,000-square-foot exhibition space, Afra joked to the New York Times, “Seeing all those things makes us feel very tired, and now we feel that maybe we worked too much.”
It was not too much for their legacy, as Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work continues to inspire new generations. Scarpa designs are in collections at the Louvre, the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The couple was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1970 for the Soriana armchair.
Find vintage Afra & Tobia Scarpa lounge chairs, dining chairs, floor lamps and other furniture today on 1stDibs.
Cassina
Furniture manufacturer Cassina is a prolific design house for more reasons than one: It not only owns the licenses to an exquisite collection of iconic chairs, sofas, tables and other pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries but also produces original works that are characterized by innovation and the finest Italian craftsmanship.
Cassina’s illustrious legacy includes being one of the first companies to bring industrial design to Italy in the 1950s. Founded in 1927 in Meda, Italy, by brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina, the Italian manufacturing giant originally specialized in bespoke woodworking. In nearly a century since its founding, the company has shown incredible foresight about design trends and the evolution of technology.
In 1964, Cassina signed an exclusive licensing agreement to manufacture furniture by Le Corbusier and his collaborators — such as the LC4 chaise longue made with trailblazing French modernist Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret — a move that would shape the future of the company. Cassina’s I Maestri collection is an ongoing initiative to restyle landmark designs from the 20th century, such as pieces by Gerrit Rietveld (the Red and Blue armchair from 1918), Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Erik Gunnar Asplund, Franco Albini and Frank Lloyd Wright. The company preserves the intentions and original styles of their designs but adds updated techniques, materials and processes — rendering them the best possible combination of past, present and future. The brand has also worked with contemporary icons like Zaha Hadid, Gio Ponti and Philippe Starck.
Cassina’s original designs are cutting-edge as well. They include pieces for everyday use, the development of which is guided by comfort and the marriage of Italian craftsmanship with industrial technology.
Some of Cassina’s pieces, both from its contemporary and I Maestri collections, can be found in the collections of museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Vitra Design Museum. In 2014, the company became part of Haworth in its acquisition of Italian furniture group Poltrona Frau, and in 2015, Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola joined Cassina as its art director, leading the brand into its next century of inventive style.
Find a collection of new and vintage Cassina furniture on 1stDibs.
- Pierre Paulin Leather Lounge ChairBy Pierre PaulinLocated in Los Angeles, CAPierre Paulin leather lounge chair, 444 model in original black leather with steel support and legs.Category
Vintage 1960s French Minimalist Lounge Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Louis XVI Style Sofa Modeled after Marie Antoinette FurnitureLocated in Los Angeles, CAA Louis XVI style sofa modeled after a set that Marie Antoinette had made for her grand cabinet in the Tuileries Palace. Reproduced in France, circa 1930, most likely by Jansen.Category
Vintage 1930s French Louis XVI Loveseats
MaterialsWood, Upholstery, Velvet
- Pair of Burl Wood and Brass Inlaid NightstandsLocated in Los Angeles, CAA pair of burl wood and brass inlaid nightstands with interior shelves. Beautiful finish on the whole piece including interior with unique brass hand...Category
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
MaterialsBrass
$16,600 / set - Pirkka Table and Chairs by Ilmari TaplovaaraBy Ilmari TapiovaaraLocated in Los Angeles, CAA set of Pirkka table and four chairs by Imari Tapiovaara from Belgium. Perfect condition. Would make a great game table or children's dining room table, ...Category
Vintage 1970s Finnish Modern Dining Room Sets
MaterialsLacquer, Wood
- Set of Eight, 1970 White Painted Cast Iron Tables and Dining ChairsLocated in Los Angeles, CATwo sets of four chairs and two tables of this interesting cast iron table with matching chairs painted white enamel, 1970 Industrial modern design. Great for a card table or a kitch...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
MaterialsWrought Iron, Enamel
- Pair of Foundry PotsLocated in Los Angeles, CAGreat pair of very heavy duty foundry pots (Creuse de Fonderie) in there original condition.Category
Early 20th Century French Urns
MaterialsCement
$3,400 / item
- Cassina Soriana Sofa by Afra and Tobia Scarpa, Italy, 1970sBy Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Antwerp, BESoriana Sofa; Scarpa; Afra & Tobia Scarpa; Cassina; Italy; 1970s; Hollywood Regency; Minimalist; Italian Design; Afra and Tobia Scarpa Soriana lounge chair...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsChrome
- Soriana Lounge Chair by Afra and Tobia ScarpaBy Cassina, Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Antwerp, BEAfra and Tobia Scarpa, reupholstered cognac aniline leather, Cassina, Italy, 1970s The Soriana collection was meant to express beauty and comfort by using a whole bundle of fabric...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Post-Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Soriana Three Seater Sofa by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy 1970sBy Cassina, Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Roma, ITSoriana Three Seater Sofa for Cassina, Italy 1970s. Black Leather, original Cassina Label. Outstanding piece in near perfect condition, with origin...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Soriana Three Seater Sofa by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy 1970sBy Cassina, Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Roma, ITSoriana Three Seater Sofa for Cassina, Italy 1970s. Black Leather, original Cassina Label. Outstanding piece in near perfect condition, with origin...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Pair of Soriana Lounge Chairs, by Afra & Tobia ScarpaBy Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Los Angeles, CAWinner of the Compasso d’Oro award in 1970, the Soriana led Italian couple Afra and Tobia Scarpa to instant success. Together in 1968 they designed a pair of cloud-like chairs for lo...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Pair of Soriana Lounge Chairs, by Afra & Tobia ScarpaBy Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in Sao Paulo, SPThis Soriana lounge chair is characterized by its substantial, bulbous form, enveloping the sitter in a voluminous, cushioned embrace. The use of soft, suede-like fabric in a rich, e...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Billy Cotton Layers His Interiors with Lived-In Comfort
The Brooklyn-based designer is adept at styles ranging from austere to over-the-top, espousing an architectural, detail-oriented approach also evident in his line of furniture and lighting.