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.
Mid-Century French 'Elephant' Sofa by René Drouet
Located in London, GB
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Located in London, GB
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Located in London, GB
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Located in London, GB
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Located in MIlano, IT
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Located in Collonge-Bellerive, GE
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Rare Environ Tre Sculptural Sofa by Edoardo Landi, Gruppo N, Nikol, Italy 1971
By Edoardo Landi, Ennio Chiggio
Located in Den Haag, NL
Rare Sculptural sofa by Edoardo Landi for Nikol Internazionale, Italy 1971 With this sofa you not only get comfort in your home, but also a great work of Art. The sofa creates a shell-like environment that cocoons the sitter. With your own imagination, the sofa can be set up in different ways. This sofa would look beautiful in a Mohair or bouclé Fabric Each sofa is 230 cm in length, 100cm width, the hight is 60cm, seat height 35cm. When setup like a corner 230cmx330cm Born in Modena in 1937, Italy, Landi studied architecture in Venice and attends the School of Industrial Design in Venice between 1962 and 1964. In 1959, he founds Group N with Alberto Biasi, Manfredo Massironi, Toni Costa and Ennio Chiggio. Landi’s work is based on the use of geometric shapes with programmed inclinations or separations, through which he manages changes in the viewer's perception. The artist develops retinal fatigue and optical illusions in some of his works, causing a closer relationship between the viewer and the work. In 1963, he participates with Grupo N at the IV Biennale Internazionale d'Arte di San Marino, where they receive their first prize. Since 1968, his works have been present in international exhibitions in Rome, Oslo, Tokyo, Budapest, Bologna, Paris, Milan and other cities. Since 1971 he has been interested in graphic design and the use of Industrial objects in interior design. Often this sofa is sold as an Ennio Chiggio sofa but is not from his hand, however the sofa was produced by Nikol wich Chiggio also designed for. They were also both a member of the art movement Gruppo N...
Fabric, Foam
Mario Bellini "Le Bambole" for B&B Italia, ecru velvet three-seater sofa, 1970s
Located in Quarrata, IT
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Iconic and highly collectible Soriana sofa designed by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, one of the most celebrated examples of Italian modern design from the 1970s. Winner of the Com...
Fabric
Two-Seater "Korium" Sofa by Tito Agnoli for Matteo Grassi. Italy, 1970s/1980s
By Matteo Grassi
Located in Nashville, TN
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Leather
