Rare Pair "Fiorenza" First Edition Armchairs by Franco Albini, Italy, c. 1953
About the Item
- Creator:Arflex (Manufacturer),Franco Albini (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 41.34 in (105 cm)Width: 30.32 in (77 cm)Depth: 35.04 in (89 cm)Seat Height: 16.54 in (42 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950-1960
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Rovereta, SM
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3757338856772
Franco Albini
While working under the polymath Gio Ponti — arguably the most important figure in 20th-century Italian modernism — furniture designer Franco Albini nurtured a love for modern forms combined with traditional craft techniques.
Albini is widely known for working with organic materials such as rattan and cane for his chairs and other seating, but he also played a pivotal role in the Italian rationalist movement of the early 20th century, which saw architects and furniture makers applying a strict emphasis on geometry in their work. Rationalists drew on Ancient Roman architecture but rejected ornament, much in the way that Le Corbusier and celebrated Bauhaus figures such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe had in their modernist furniture.
Albini received his degree in architecture from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1929, and, in 1931, he founded his practice in Milan, where he tackled workers’ housing and other reconstruction projects. A gifted urban planner, he also developed the Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Rosso and Tesoro di San Lorenzo museums in Genoa. While Albini is revered for his Margherita chair — a Triennale Milano award winner created for Bonacina in 1951 — he also collaborated with manufacturers Poggi and Cassina in the 1940s on seating, tables and more that embodied his artistic vision. Of that mid-century work, the one piece that perhaps best captures this vision is the iconic Luisa chair.
With its cherry red upholstery and sinuous wooden legs that seem to float aboveground, the Luisa is a genuine masterpiece. It is also a testament to Albini’s perfectionism, as it endured several prototypes — including one made by Knoll in the late 1940s — and took approximately 15 years to design. Poggi launched the final version of the armchair in 1955, earning Albini the prestigious Compasso d’Oro from Italy’s Association for Industrial Design. It is produced today by Cassina. Albini named the chair for someone who likely saw the process firsthand: his personal secretary of two decades, Luisa Colombini.
Find vintage Franco Albini furniture on 1stDibs.
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Rovereta, San Marino
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Franco Albini PL19 Pair of Three Piece Armchairs for Poggi Pavia Italy Circa 1959By Franco AlbiniLocated in Rovereta, SMThe "Modello PL19" or "I tre Pezzi" armchairs, designed by Franco Albini and Franca Helg, manufactured by Poggi Pavia, Italy. The chairs have a lacquered metal frame and are upholste...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsIron
- Rare Pair of Italian Armchair by Mario OregliaLocated in Rovereta, SMAttractive pair of armchairs designed by architect Mario Oreglia in late 1949. The armchairs present an iconic geometric play where a seductive, vibrant ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Pair Armchairs and Sofa Franco Campo & Carlo Graffi Appelli & Varesio EditionBy Franco Campo & Carlo GraffiLocated in Rovereta, SMPair armchairs Attributed to Franco Campo & Carlo Graffi (1925-1985), Pair of armchairs Maple and velvet Appelli & Varesio Edition. the size of air chairs...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMaple
- Sculptural Pair of Armchairs Attributed Franco Campi & Carlo Graffi Italy, 1950By Franco Campo & Carlo GraffiLocated in Rovereta, SMSculptural pair of armchairs attributed Franco Campi and Carlo Graffi, Italy, 1950.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet
- "Lb7" Bookcase by Franco Albini for Poggi MarkedBy Franco Albini, PoggiLocated in Rovereta, SMlibrary, Franco Ablini for Poggi, Italy, 1950. Elegant Franco Albini library or room divider. Shelves and units can be adjusted or put in differ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsWood
- Very Rare Pair of Armchairs Walnut Ebonized Edition Arredamento Borsani, VaredoBy Osvaldo BorsaniLocated in Rovereta, SMOsvaldo Borsani (1911-1985) Pair of armchairs walnut ebonized and textile Edition Arredamento Borsani, Varedo Creation date: circa 1950 Me...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Rare "Fiorenza" Green Cashmere Armchair by Franco Albini, Italy, c. 1953By Franco Albini, ArflexLocated in New York City, NYRare and Exquisite "Fiorenza" Armchair by Franco Albini, Italy, c. 1953. This highly collectible model was manufactured by Arflex for one single year. An early variant of the iconi...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBrass
- Armchair "Fiorenza" designed by Franco Albini in 1952 for Arflex, Italy.By Arflex, Franco AlbiniLocated in Wolfurt, ATArmchair "Fiorenza," designed by Franco Albini in 1952 for Arflex, Italy. A highly collectible model produced for only one year by Arflex. This stunning pair of armchairs features sc...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Arflex Fiorenza Armchair in Steelcut Blue Fabric & Black Frame by Franco AlbiniBy Arflex, Franco AlbiniLocated in Brooklyn, NYSymbol of comfort, Fiorenza armchair appears in Pirelli's 1950s advertisement as symbol of the foam rubber potential, considered at that time the mos...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric
- Armchair "Fiorenza" in Original Red Color, by Franco Albini in 1952 for ArflexBy Arflex, Franco AlbiniLocated in Wolfurt, ATThis pair of Italian "Fiorenza" armchairs was designed by Franco Albini for Arflex. The elegantly shaped wooden frame supports the furniture body, which is covered with the original ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Arflex Fiorenza Armchair in Steelcut Red Fabric and Black Frame by Franco AlbiniBy Franco Albini, ArflexLocated in Brooklyn, NYSymbol of comfort, Fiorenza armchair appears in Pirelli's 1950s advertisement as symbol of the foam rubber potential, considered at that time the mos...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric
- Mid-Century Modern Red Armchair Fiorenza by Franco Albini for Arflex, ItalyBy Franco AlbiniLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern Armchair Fiorenza by Franco Albini for Arflex, Italy.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood