Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 21

Midcentury Giancarlo Piretti Red "Platone" Folding Desk for Castelli, 1970s

About the Item

Wonderful and incredibly rare midcentury red "Platone" folding desk designed by Giancarlo Piretti and produced by Anonima Castelly in Italy during the 1970s. The desk is in amazing vintage condition and is signed on the bottom. The Platone desk was designed to be presented as a set with the Plia chair. It is also held in the permanent collection of the MoMa in NYC. The red top is a perfect match with the bold design of this little table, with the metal structure sustaining the table on one side. This stylish desk could function perfectly in a modern or midcentury style studio or children's room. Dimension (cm): Width - 82 Depth - 64 Height - 69 Italian interior and industrial designer Giancarlo Piretti was born in 1940 in Bologna. He obtained his teaching degree in drawing at the Art Institute of Bologna (dates unknown), and continued his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna in 1960. From 1963 until 1970, he taught interior design at the Art Institute of Bologna. Sometime in the 1960s, Piretti also joined Italian design company Castelli as an interior designer, creating home furniture and office furnishings. During his twelve years at Castelli, Piretti obtained numerous industrial patents for his designs, which were mostly chairs. Piretti’s work for Castelli garnered the company an international reputation in furniture design. His most well-known design is the plastic folding Plia Chair (1968), which has sold over seven million copies since 1969 and is still in production. It won the BIO 5 distinction and the SMAU prize at the Ljubljana Biennial in 1971, Germany’s Gute Form prize in 1973, and can be found in permanent collections in various museums world-wide, including Austria, Czech Republic, Slovenia and the United States. In 1969 the complementary Plia Table was equally well-received in design circles, these revolutionary designs measured just 5 cm in depth when folded, a marvel in the 1960s. In the late 1970s, Piretti worked with Argentine architect-designer Emilio Ambasz (b. 1943) on several award-winning designs, including the two ergonomic seating systems Vertebra (1975, winner of the Smau Industrial Design Award in 1979) and Dorsal (1981). From 1984-1986 Piretti worked for Castilia, a firm that was part of the Castelli group, that specialized in the production of home furniture characterized by functional and aesthetic systems. In 1988, Piretti revealed The Piretti Collection in Chicago, which included over 50 different office chairs and seating styles. It is still manufactured by various licensees around the world. The collection, which has won several prizes including the UBD, the ASID, the Compasso d'Oro and the G-Mark, was designed to respond to the specific needs of each individual user. In 1997, the collection reached the milestone of one million chairs sold. Today, they have sold more than two-and-a-half million pieces from the collection. Other well-known design include the DCS 106 stacking chair (1965); Plona lounge chair (1969); Alky chair (1970s); Plantone Folding desk (1970); Plano (1971, Gold Medal IBD); Planto coat rack (1972); the system 61 modular sofa system (1973); Xylon Chair (1992, two G Mark Awards 1994); and the Torsion seating collection (1995-6, G Mark Award 1997). Today, Piretti lives and works in Bologna with his son, designer Alessandro Piretti. Anonima Castelli was established in 1877 by Ettore Castelli as a cabinetry workshop. Following a gradual change over the years, between the 1960s and 1980s the company started one of the most enterprising and innovative projects in the world, working together with leading figures of Italian and international design: emilio ambasz, rodolfo bonetto, nilo gioacchini, giancarlo piretti , charles pollock, f.a. porsche, richard sapper, claudio bellini, michele de lucchi, doriana and massimiliano fuksas, gino gamberini, enzo mari and mario ruiz. The company's products soon became iconic and were chosen to furnish important presidential offices of banks and large industries.

More From This Seller

View All
Midcentury "Platone" White Folding Desk by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli, 1970s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
Lovely white "Platone" folding desk. Designed by the visionary Giancarlo Piretti and produced by Anonima Castelli in Italy during the 1970s. The desk is signed on the bottom. In brand new condition, this desk has never been used and is a new old stock. The Platone desk was designed to be presented as a set with the Plia chair. It is also held in the permanent collection of the MoMa in NYC. Its ingenious three-disc mechanism, a signature feature of Piretti’s bestsellers, reaches its boldest expression in the Platone. The white top is a perfect match with the bold design of this little table, with the metal structure sustaining the table on one side. Platone is built to last and integrates seamlessly into any modern or vintage interior. This stylish desk could function perfectly in a modern or midcentury style children's room or office. Dimension (cm): Width - 82 Depth - 64 Height - 69 Italian interior and industrial designer Giancarlo Piretti was born in 1940 in Bologna. He obtained his teaching degree in drawing at the Art Institute of Bologna (dates unknown), and continued his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna in 1960. From 1963 until 1970, he taught interior design at the Art Institute of Bologna. Sometime in the 1960s, Piretti also joined Italian design company Castelli as an interior designer, creating home furniture and office furnishings. During his twelve years at Castelli, Piretti obtained numerous industrial patents for his designs, which were mostly chairs. Piretti’s work for Castelli garnered the company an international reputation in furniture design. His most well-known design is the plastic folding Plia Chair (1968), which has sold over seven million copies since 1969 and is still in production. It won the BIO 5 distinction and the SMAU prize at the Ljubljana Biennial in 1971, Germany’s Gute Form prize in 1973, and can be found in permanent collections in various museums world-wide, including Austria, Czech Republic, Slovenia and the United States. In 1969 the complementary Plia Table...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal, Aluminum, Steel

Midcentury Giancarlo Piretti Blue "Platone" Folding Desk by Castelli, 1970s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
Fabulous and incredibly rare midcentury blue "Platone" folding desk designed by Giancarlo Piretti and produced by Anonima Castelly in Italy during the 1970s. The desk is in spectacul...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal, Aluminum, Steel

Giancarlo Piretti Lucite Pink Folding "Plia" Italian Chair for Castelli, 1970s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
Original and signed "Plia" pink lucite folding chair. NOS (new old Stock) This fantastic set was designed by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli in 1967. PLIA, the symbol of a new era fo...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Aluminum, Chrome

Giancarlo Piretti Lucite Pink and White Folding Plia Chairs for Castelli, 1970s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
Original and signed "Plia" folding chairs in the gorgeous version with white metal structure and pink lucite. In perfect conditions, NOS (new old stock). This fantastic set was desig...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Aluminum, Chrome

Straw and Chrome "Plia" Italian Chairs by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli, 1970s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
Gorgeous original and signed Cane "Plia" folding chairs in Vienna straw wicker and chrome. These iconic Italian chairs were designed by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli in the 1967. T...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Giancarlo Piretti Mid-Century Orange "Alky" Italian Armchairs, Castelli 1970s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Roma, IT
Fantastic mid-century orange fabric "Alky" armchairs, designed by Giancarlo Piretti and produced by Castelli in Italy during 1970s. These lovely Alky armchairs are fully original in...
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Aluminum

You May Also Like

Giancarlo Piretti, Platone Folding Desk for Anonima Castelli, 1971
By Giancarlo Piretti
Located in London, GB
One of the most influential Italian designers of the twentieth century, Giancarlo Piretti’s chair designs – for which he is most celebrated – have sold millions worldwide. Piretti’s...
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Platone Folding Table by Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli, Italy, 70s
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Lucija, SI
The Platone desk was designed to be presented as a set with the Plia chair. It is also held in the permanent collection of the MoMa in NYC. Designed by one of the most popular Itali...
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Black Desk Mod. Platone design Anonima Castelli & Giancarlo Piretti
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Munster, NRW
The Platone Desk is an iconic desk designed by Gian Carlo Piretti & Anonima Castelli in the 1960s. It impresses with its elegant and functional design, which takes both aesthetics a...
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Aluminum

Mid-Century Modern Black Vintage Desk Platone Giancarlo Piretti, 1969, Italy
By Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Vienna, AT
Mid-Century Modern black foldable vintage writing desk "Platone" designed by Giancarlo Piretti 1969 Italy and produced by Anonima Castelli, Italy. The desk is framed with chromed ste...
Category

Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel

Plato Desk / Writing Desk with "Plia" Chairs G.Piretti, Anonima Castelli 60's
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Milano, MI
Set Sedia Plia con Scrivania Pieghevole Platone disegnati alla fine degli anni 60 da Giancarlo Piretti per Anonima Castelli. The desk, because of its compact size and the possibility...
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Chrome

PLANO folding table, Giancarlo Piretti
By Anonima Castelli, Giancarlo Piretti
Located in Neuss, NW
Award-winning folding table, model PLANO, by Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli from 1971. High-quality frame made of stainless steel and cast aluminium with a four-piece table t...
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Tables

Materials

Aluminum

Recently Viewed

View All