Alanda" chest of drawers by Paolo Piva for B&B Italia
About the Item
- Creator:B&B Italia (Manufacturer),Paolo Piva (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 26.78 in (68 cm)Width: 66.93 in (170 cm)Depth: 23.63 in (60 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading.
- Seller Location:Conversano, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU8395236639212
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.
B&B Italia
In 1966, Piero Ambrogio Busnelli cofounded C&B Italia, a modern Italian furniture manufacturer, with Cesare Cassina in northern Milan. From the outset, Busnelli and Cassina set about recruiting the most talented modernists in Italy to conceive of creative furnishings manufactured in modern ways. In the early 1970s, the company split, with Cassina founding his own eponymous firm and Busnelli taking leadership of what became B&B Italia.
For decades, Busnelli cultivated relationships with the world’s best design talent, resulting in furniture pieces that remain iconic today — be they Gaetano Pesce’s outwardly curvaceous Up seating (made for C&B, reintroduced by B&B) or tables from industrial designer Paolo Piva, each more sophisticated than the next in their geometrically complex steel-tube bases. B&B Italia earned four prestigious Compasso d’Oro design awards: in 1979 for Mario Bellini’s Le Bambole, in 1984 for the Sisamo wardrobe system by Studio Kairos, in 1987 for Antonio Citterio’s modular Sity sofa and, in 1989, the first award given to a manufacturing company itself.
Other notable names who designed for B&B Italia over the course of its 54-year history include Patricia Urquiola, Naoto Fukasawa, Zaha Hadid, Ettore Sottsass and Vincent Van Duysen, to name a very few. And while these names bring star power to the B&B brand, in many cases, it was B&B Italia who helped usher in their celebrity, fostering a wave of design talent on the world stage.
The company’s forward-thinking vision manifested in its own headquarters, too: In 1972, B&B Italia tapped architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers to design a steel-framed, postmodern-style home for the brand, whose crisscrossing metal exoskeleton is reminiscent of the pair’s Centre Pompidou in Paris, which was built at roughly the same time. Now, B&B Italia manages a contract division and outdoor section as well as its residential arm, and it also controls production for Maxalto, a brand spun out with furniture designs by Antonio Citterio.
At 1stDibs, find a range of vintage B&B Italia furniture — including sofas, cocktail tables and more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Conversano, Italy
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- "Lenox" chest of drawers by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti ItaliaBy Saporiti, Giovanni OffrediLocated in Conversano, ITElegant and very rare chest of drawers belonging to the "Lenox" series designed by Giovanni Offredi for Saporti Italia. The chest of drawers is entirely upholstered in precious Partr...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsMaple
- "Daniel" cabinet by Paolo Piva for FAMABy Fama, Paolo PivaLocated in Conversano, ITDiscover the wonderful cabinet from the "Daniel" series dating back to the 1970s, a unique creation of the renowned FAMA firm in Adria, designed by the acclaimed Paolo Piva during hi...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Cupboards
MaterialsCrystal
- Pair of "Daniel" cabinets by Paolo Piva for FAMABy Fama, Paolo PivaLocated in Conversano, ITExplore an extraordinary pair of cabinets from the "Daniel series," an iconic 1970s creation made by the renowned FAMA firm in Adria and conceived by Paolo Piva early in his illustri...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Cupboards
MaterialsCrystal
- "Ajax" chest of drawers manufactured by BenattiLocated in Conversano, IT"Ajax" chest of drawers produced and designed in 1966 by Benatti. Very distinctive object with a rounded and curvy shape, made entirely of dark brown mirror lacquered wood. On the fr...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Space Age Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsMetal
- "Marango" chest of drawers by Alberto Smania for Studio Smania Interni 1968Located in Conversano, ITStunning chest of drawers belonging to the prestigious Marango series designed by Alberto Smania for the Smania Studio Interni company of the same name in the late 1960s'. The chest ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass
- Chest Of Drawers in Pecary leather by Tito Agnoli for Caleido\Poltrona FrauBy Paltrona Frau, Tito AgnoliLocated in Conversano, ITIncredible and very rare chest of drawers designed by Tito Agnoli for Caleido, a Poltrona Frau company in 1970. The object is of incredible workmanship, with hand-sewn Pecary leather...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsAnimal Skin, Wood
- Mid-Century Modern Italian Chest of Drawers by Paolo BuffaBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Miami, FLMid-Century Modern Italian chest of drawers by Paolo Buffa Six-drawer dresser, Italy circa 1940 Blonde walnut veneer with inlayed detailing, Floating loop legs and original ornat...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass
- Paolo Buffa Chest of Drawers/Commode circa 1940By Paolo BuffaLocated in New York, NYA fine and elegant chest of drawers or commode by Paolo Buffa, circa 1940. The handsome mahogany case is perfectly proportioned with four horizontal drawers, all with a slight curve...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass
- Art Deco chest of drawers , Walnut Root by Paolo Buffa for Permanente Mobili CantùBy La Permanente Mobili Cantù, Paolo BuffaLocated in Vigonza, PaduaElegant Mid-Century modern three-drawer dresser by Paolo Buffa for Permanente Mobili Cantù in walnut burl , with mirror. Accessories such as hands and feet made of gold-plated brass....Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsNutwood
- Italian Mid-Century Modern Chest of Drawers by Paolo Buffa, 1950sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Traversetolo, ITWonderful Italian sideboard or chest of drawers designed by Paolo Buffa in the 1950s. Truly refined the used wood combination in maple for the drawers and walnut for the furniture re...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
MaterialsBrass
- Italian Midcentury Sideboard or Chest of Drawers by Paolo Buffa, 1950sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Traversetolo, ITWonderful Italian sideboard or chest of drawers designed by Paolo Buffa in the 1950s. Truly refined the used wood combination in maple for the drawers and walnut for the furniture re...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
MaterialsBrass
- Chest of Drawers by Alfred Hendrickx for BelformBy Alfred HendrickxLocated in Vlimmeren, BEThis beautiful chest of drawers was designed by Alfred Hendrickx for Belform in the late 1950s. It has a Minimalist look with its handleless drawers and fine brass hairpin legs. Th...Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBubinga
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Rooms We Love: 11 Splendid Living Rooms
Common wisdom used to declare the kitchen the hub of the house. These days, the living room seems to have assumed the role of domestic focal point. Unlike the Victorian parlor, stiffly furnished and reserved for guests, today’s living room is a central place for reading, conversation and, well, living, with furnishings that lend themselves to both casual lounging and elegant entertaining.
Vincent Van Duysen Imbues Minimalism with Warmth
The Antwerp-based designer lends his unique touch to homes, boutiques and offices in Belgium, the United States and Germany, as well as furniture for B&B Italia and Molteni.