Italian Mid-Century Modern Triennale Sofa by Marco Zanuso for Arflex circa 1951
About the Item
- Creator:Marco Zanuso (Designer),Arflex (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.5 in (74.93 cm)Width: 75.5 in (191.77 cm)Depth: 34 in (86.36 cm)Seat Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1951
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading. The structure is in very good condition. The upholstery is original with normal wear & tear consistent with age.. Re-upholstery is suggested.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:
Marco Zanuso
Italian designer Marco Zanuso helped cement his country’s place as a world leader in furniture design that used new materials in revolutionary ways.
Zanuso was part of a generation of furniture designers who encouraged a sharp departure from the traditionalism and classicalism that reigned over the design industry before the war. These designers, who are associated with what we now call mid-century modernism, experimented with new technologies and materials to deliver on the world’s newfound need for streamlined products that represented the future.
After graduating from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1939 with a degree in architecture, Zanuso served in the Navy during World War II. Soon after the war, he opened his own design firm in Milan in 1945. He later became an editor at well-regarded design magazines Domus and Casabella.
Zanuso used this editorial platform to both promote new Italian designs as well as his own pieces, some of which he made using unconventional materials like foam and latex. For instance, his famous Lady armchair from 1951 is a composition of foam rubber and Nastro Cord, a recently invented textile band of rubberized fabric that eliminated the need for metal springs. It was one of several pieces he designed for Italian manufacturer Arflex, along with the 1949 Antropus chair and the 1951 Sleep-o-matic sofa.
Zanuso often collaborated with other like-minded creatives. From 1955 until 1957, he was Olivetti’s architect, designing factories across Brazil, and for nearly two decades, he collaborated with German designer Richard Sapper. The pair’s most famous product is the 4999 children’s chair, manufactured in the 1960s by Kartell in Italy. The stackable chair was the first to be manufactured entirely of injection-molded plastic.
Zanuso and Sapper also partnered on the 1962 Brionvega Doney 14, the first European-made portable transistor TV; its sleek, compact and curvy form deeply influenced the design of television sets that followed, which were far more sculptural in form than the rigid boxes that characterized early models.
From the 1970s onward, Zanuso taught architecture and industrial design at the Polytechnic University of Milan. He still exercised his creative talents, planning the headquarters for computer companies and renovating Italian theaters.
Each of Zanuso’s elegant works were demonstrative of a forward-looking sensibility. His projects saw an integration of novel industrial materials that not only helped emphasize the beauty of good design but also played a role in rendering these well-made products accessible to everyday consumers.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Marco Zanuso furniture, including armchairs, sofas, table lamps and other items.
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: Englewood, NJ
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Rare Curved Italian Mid-Century Triennale Sofa by Marco Zanuso, 1951By Marco Zanuso, ArflexLocated in New York, NYA Rare and Important Italian Mid-Century Modern Triennale Sofa / Divan/ Couch by Marco Zanuso for Arflex, Italy, circa 1951. The piece is in it's original Ultra-marine faux leather /...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Italian Mid-Century 'Sleep-o-Matic" Sofa in Leather by Marco Zanuso for ArflexBy Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in New York, NYAn Important Italian Midcentury Modern 'Sleep-o-Matic" model sofa / couch in Tan Calf Leather by Marco Zanuso for Arflex, 1951. The divan / canape is composed of a metal structure, s...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsBrass, Steel
- Rare Pair of Mid-Century Modern Triennale Lounge Chairs, Marco Zanuso Italy 1951By Marco Zanuso, ArflexLocated in New York, NYA rare and important pair of Italian Mid-Century Modern Triennale charis by Marco Zanuso circa 1951. Zanuso designed these Triennale lounge chairs...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Italian Mid-Century Modern Style Moss Green Sofa, Love Seat, Marco Zanuso styleBy Marco ZanusoLocated in New York, NYA chic Italian Midcentury Modern style design sofa / settee in a dynamic form and with sensuous felt upholstery in moss green. Its unusual short width, low back and its sleek. low f...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Loveseats
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Italian Mid-Century Modern Neoclassical Sofa by Gio Ponti for ISA BergamoBy ISA Bergamo, Gio PontiLocated in New York, NYAn elegant, stunning Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofa with modern neoclassical influences by Gio Ponti for Editions ISA, Bergamo, circa 1955. This sofa features a high back, wingback ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMohair, Upholstery, Hardwood
- Pair of Italian Mid-Century Organic Modern Stools attributed to Marco ZanusoBy Marco ZanusoLocated in New York, NYAn Elegant Pair of Italian Midcentury Modern Organic Form Stools / Benches / Ottomans / Poofs in the style of Marco Zanuso circa 1953. The pieces feature a delicate organic curved fo...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsBrass
- Mid Century Triennale Sofa by Marco Zanuso for Arflex, Italy, 1950sBy Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Oud Beijerland, NLA very beautiful sofa model "Triennale", designed by Marco Zanuso and edited by Arflex, Italy 1950's. Made of a solid structure and polished legs. This stunning piece is just re...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Marco Zanuso "IX Triennale" Sofa for Arflex, Italy 1950sBy Marco Zanuso, ArflexLocated in Utrecht, NL“There is no border between craftsmanship and design. What we do on the model, which will then be reproduced a thousand times, is an activity in which we bring all our experience.” s...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Mid-Century Modern Marco Zanuso "Triennale Corner" Green Velvet, Italy, 1951By Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Madrid, ES"Triennale corner" curved sofa designed by Marco Zanuso and edited by Arflex in 1951. Made of solid wood structure and polish brass legs. Upholstered in dark green cotton velvet.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsBrass
- Two-Seat Triennale Sofa, Marco Zanuso, Arflex, Italy, 1950sBy Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in Wolfurt, ATThis two-seater "Triennale" sofa was designed by Marco Zanuso in the 1950s and manufactured by Arflex in Italy. The upholstery is covered in pink velvet fabric, which shows slight si...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsBrass
- Italian Midcentury Beige Velvet Sofa Triennale by Marco Zanuso for Arflex, 1956By Arflex, Marco ZanusoLocated in MIlano, ITItalian midcentury Beige velvet Sofa Triennale by Marco Zanuso for Arflex, 1956 Iconic four seater sofa mod. Triennale with fully padded seat and ba...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsVelvet
- Marco Zanuso Sofa for Arflex Mid Century Italian Modern Teal Upholstery Clean!By Marco Zanuso, ArflexLocated in Rockaway, NJMarco Zanuso Sofa Pull Out Daybed for Arflex Mid Century Italian Modern Teal Upholstery Clean! seat height: 16Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery