Swiss architect Mario Botta may be renowned for his impressive postmodern architecture projects such as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, but the chairs, lighting and other furniture he created reflect a mastery of geometrically rich forms and an elegant application of simple symmetry.
Born in Mendrisio, Switzerland, in 1943, Botta gained an interest in architecture at an early age. He apprenticed at the architectural firm Carloni and Camenisch and designed his first building — a two-family house at Morbis Superiore in Ticino — at age 16. During the early 1960s, Botta attended the Liceo Artistico in Milan and then studied at the University Institute of Architecture in Venice under art historian Giuseppe Mazzariol and influential Italian architect Carlo Scarpa.
While studying in Venice, Botta worked for Swiss-born French architect Le Corbusier — whose career spanned hundreds of architecture projects — and gained inspiration from Estonian-American architect Louis Kahn, who was known for his modern and brutalist architectural style. In 1969, Botta completed his studies and established his practice in Lugano, designing and building single-family homes.
Throughout the 1970s, Botta gained fame for his innovative, geometrical designs and deceptively simple forms, such as his first large-scale building project in 1977 — the Middle School in Morbio Inferiore, Switzerland. Botta later established himself as one of the masters of 1980s postmodern design in his architecture and his furniture. His postmodern ideas characterize the dining room tables and seating he designed for companies such as Alias, as well as his table lamps and floor lamps for Artemide.
Botta’s noteworthy architectural projects designed during the 1990s and 2000s include the Cymbalista Synagogue and Jewish Heritage Center in Tel Aviv, Israel; the Monastery of the Holy Apostles Saint Peter and Andrew in Lviv, Ukraine; and the Theater of Architecture in Mendrisio, in 2018.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Mario Botta lighting fixtures, seating, tables and decorative objects.
Mario Botta, Robot, Cabinet / Chest of Drawers, Italy, 1980s
By Mario Botta, Alias
Located in Renens, CH
Mario Botta “Robot” – Chest of Drawers for Alias, Italy 1980s This sculptural piece is in its purest sense a vertical storage unit composed of stacked geo...
Steel
$19,177Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 56.3 in W 32.29 in D 22.84 in
Zanotta Edizioni Mombasa Chest of Drawers in Brown Painted by Ettore Sottsass
By Zanotta, Ettore Sottsass
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Zanotta Edizioni Mombasa Chest of Drawers in Brown Painted by Ettore Sottsass Signed original. Upper frame, lower drawer top and feet veneered in open pore dark brown painted ash. L...
Pearwood
$6,478
H 63 in W 24.41 in D 17.72 in
Settimanale Chest of drawers / Tallboy by Matteo Thun for Bieffeplast, 1985
By Bieffeplast, Matteo Thun
Located in Argelato, BO
This tallboy chest designed for the Italian manufacturer Bieffeplast is a very good example of Thun’s aesthetic. Minimal, the design relies on a logical composition of draws each pun...
Metal
$7,208
H 63 in W 24.41 in D 17.72 in
Settimanale Chest of drawers / Tallboy by Matteo Thun for Bieffeplast, 1985
Located in Surbiton, GB
A 'Settimanale' chest of drawers designed by Matteo Thun and produced by Bieffeplast in small numbers in 1985. Composed from powder coated steel and featuring perforated drawer front...
Steel
C-24 Chest of Drawers by Jordi Casablancas, Catalonia, 1970s
Located in Barcelona, ES
“C-24” chest of drawers designed by Jordi Casablancas i Muntañola, produced by “Mobles i Decoració Casablancas” in beech wood and leather handles. Se...
Leather, Beech
Sandro Petti chest of drawers Angolometalarte France 1977
By Sandro Petti, Angolometallarte
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
This rare drawer cabinet, designed by Sandro Petti and manufactured by Angolometalarte in France in 1977, is a stunning example of sophisticated design and craftsmanship. The cabinet...
Brass, Chrome
$4,558
H 27.96 in W 37.41 in D 22.45 in
Movable Chest of Drawers by Ico Parisi for Spartaco Brugnoli, Italy, 1970s
By Longhi, Ico Parisi
Located in Milan, IT
Chest of drawers by Ico Parisi and manufactured by Spartaco Brugnoli. Oval piece with side wings, white top and three drawers. Four wheels allow to easily move the piece.
Wood
$10,002
H 39.38 in W 23.63 in D 50.4 in
Chest of Drawers model "Serena" by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova, 1955
By Poltronova, Giovanni Michelucci
Located in Roma, IT
Chest of drawers model "Serena" realized by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova in 1955. Realized in walnut wood and in excellent condition. Signature engraved.
Metal
$21,202
H 33.08 in W 42.52 in D 21.26 in
Ettore Sottsass Chest of Drawers, Model CS 108, for Poltronova, Wood & Marble, 1964
By Ettore Sottsass, Poltronova
Located in Torino, Piemonte
Ettore Sottsass grew up in Turin, and graduated in architecture from the Turin Polytechnic in 1939. In 1947, he founded his own studio in Milan. In 1956, Sottsass moved to New York w...
Marble
MB3 chest of drawers Luigi Caccia Dominioni, 1963
Located in Milano, Lombardia
MB3 chest of drawers Luigi Caccia Dominioni, 1963. The MB3 series, designed in 1963, interprets the theme of containment through rigorous lines and refined details. The contrast betw...
Wood
