Archizoom Associati Furniture
For eight years, Italian architecture and design studio Archizoom Associati challenged modernism and aligned itself with what we now call Radical Design, an avant-garde art movement established largely in Florence that produced exuberant conceptual furnishings and objects that were neither practical nor very commercial. Through iconic works like the Sanremo floor lamp and the Mies lounge chair, Archizoom and other proponents of the movement protested functionalism and explored form, color and material in a way that countered the existing social order.
Founded in 1966 by University of Florence students Andrea Branzi, Gilberto Corretti, Massimo Morozzi and Paolo Deganello, Archizoom questioned mass consumerism and the validity of rapid postwar modernization in their native country. In their architecture initiatives, interiors, installations, furniture and more, Archizoom's members were pioneers of postmodernism — future Memphis Group cofounder Ettore Sottsass was also part of the Radical Design movement — and alongside likeminded collectives such as Superstudio, Ziggurat and UFO, Archizoom drew on Pop art, Minimalism and Arte Povera to expand upon the expressive potential of design. Branzi and his peers were also deeply influenced by the visionary work of London architecture collective Archigram — so much so that the group’s name is inclusive of Zoom, which is the name of a zine published by the British collective.
In Archizoom’s No-Stop City — an unbuilt architecture project — the urban area is stripped bare, a featureless monochromatic expanse that sees built structures meeting nothing more than the basic needs of human existence. The group’s Mies lounge chair — a tribute to early modernist architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe — was developed for Poltronova and hardly resembles a chair at all. It is not until one sits down that the detached bench seat combines with the backrest and becomes a full seat. The human body bonds the pieces together to make a chair that is surprisingly functional — and even compact.
The Radical Design movement is experiencing something of a renaissance, and Archizoom Associati’s works featured prominently in 2020’s “Radical: Italian Design 1965-1985” at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. The collective’s designs were given a global stage in the classic 1972 exhibition “Italy : The New Domestic Landscape” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, but most of the groups associated with Radical Design dissolved by the mid-1970s. The Mies lounge chair is held in MoMA’s permanent collection.
Find vintage Archizoom Associati seating, lighting and tables on 1stDibs.
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Fiberglass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Archizoom Associati Furniture
Fiberglass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Metal
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Wood, Lacquer
1970s Post-Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Faux Leather, Foam
1960s Italian Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Foam, PVC
Mid-20th Century French Archizoom Associati Furniture
Fabric, Foam
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Metal
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian Archizoom Associati Furniture
Metal
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Fabric, Fiberglass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Archizoom Associati Furniture
Fabric
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Archizoom Associati Furniture
Foam, Upholstery
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Faux Leather, PVC
1960s Italian Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian Archizoom Associati Furniture
Fiberglass
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Archizoom Associati Furniture
Stainless Steel, Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Archizoom Associati Furniture
Metal
1960s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Metal
1960s Italian Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Steel, Chrome
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Wood
1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Fabric
Late 20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Archizoom Associati Furniture
Brass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Leather
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Leather
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Brass
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Teak
1950s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Fabric
1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Leather, Oak
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Teak
Mid-20th Century Italian Space Age Archizoom Associati Furniture
Chrome
Early 2000s French Mid-Century Modern Archizoom Associati Furniture
Synthetic
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
PVC
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Fabric, Fiberglass
1960s Italian Space Age Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Leather, Fiberglass
1960s Italian Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Faux Leather
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
PVC
1970s Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Steel
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Cotton, Fabric, Fiberglass
1960s Italian Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Upholstery, Resin, Fiberglass, Lacquer
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Fabric, Fiberglass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Archizoom Associati Furniture
Fiberglass
Mid-20th Century Italian Post-Modern Archizoom Associati Furniture
Metal