The quintessential expression of Italian furniture design, the sofa is a product that represents artisan skill and industrial ability. An emblem of upper-class homes, it was – particularly in the second half of the twentieth century – the object of research into materials, modularity and methods of use. In the 1960s, homes became smaller, lifestyles changed, and as a consequence the market demanded multi-functional products that could be configured to remodel spaces. Architects such as Cini Boeri designed sofas by taking the person as the starting point for completely autonomous use. She added wheels to furniture, created elements that could be combined to create living areas that transformed into beds for the night, upholstered in practical, easy-to-clean and easy-to-substitute quilting.
The evergreens: 20 design sofas
The oldest item in the history of furniture is an expression of technical transformation and lifestyles. Here is a list of some of the most iconic sofas from the second half of the twentieth century.
Photo G. Brancato
View Article details
- Valentina Croci
- 13 October 2022
Other designers, such as Vico Magistretti, reflected instead on the forms of seating, no longer in a “conversation” position, but also semi-horizontally, with reclining backrests for relaxing in front of the TV, the “new hearth” of the home. The transformation of elements, as well as the encouragement to experiment with new ways to use and occupy the home, are moments that have affected all of the furnishings from so-called Italian Radical Design, which through companies such as Gufram, Poltronova and the Centro Ricerche C&B (now B&B Italia), generated innovative and long-selling products. Modularity has been a recurrent theme in the design of sofas since the 1970s, not only because it provides the user with a central and active role in the composition of their personal space, but also because the product can grow and integrate over the years in accordance with the homes and the needs of the people. This marked the birth of large-scale modular systems, offering the possibility to add corner end-pieces, daybeds, tables and multi-purpose arms, and that include as many as fifty elements.
“Soft bundles on which you can sit down, in which you can sleep, washable, removable and articulated” was how Cini Boeri defined the modules in Strips, a modular system of sofas and beds that can be configured in a multitude of ways. The idea was to create a soft foam structure that recalled the feathers of old cushions, covered with quilting that could easily be removed thanks to a system of zips. Strips, which was awarded with the Golden Compass in 1979 and is displayed in the most important design museums worldwide, is a still-topical response to the need for flexibility in living spaces. The sofa is upholstered with a quilt instead of the traditional fabric covering and is composed of a wide-ranging system of elements including a sofabed, a sofa with or without arms, a daybed and pouffe, allowing for infinite combinations. The structure is in metal and birch plywood, while the stuffing is in shaped polyurethane of differentiated density and polyester fibre, upholstered in fabric or leather.
The initial idea for the sofa was of a “bag” containing formless material that was modelled when placed on the ground and squashed. The idea then emerged to create a large reinforced cushion, a natural "free" shape, difficult to describe in a product drawing, but easy to perceive and analyse. As Bellini said: “Le Bambole are not covered in fabric, instead they are built of fabric”, and in fact the material conceals a “skeleton” - the vertical edges and elastic membranes that blend form and fabric. Winner of the Golden Compass in 1979, Le Bambole are an armchair, two and three-seater sofas and pouffes that, in the 1970s, were photographed with a topless Donna Jordan by Oliviero Toscani, breaking the sector’s communication codes. Bayfit® (Bayer®) flexible cold shaped polyurethane foam, polyester fibre cover, upholstered in fabric or leather. Internal frame in tubular steel and steel profiles. Dimensions: 74 x 106/241 x 89 cm.
A reference to outdoors sofas with a visible metal frame and multiple cushions for a comfortable seat. But this is an indoors product with a casual style that plays on the colours and softness of the system of cushions. The fastening system for the cushions is also a reference to outdoor sofas: the seat cushions are either sewn or zipped onto the larger one, which in turn is connected to the frame with velcro, as though it were removable to protect it from the rain. Sofa with a varnished metal structure and removable cover in either fabric or leather. Dimensions: 82 x 190/230 x 90 cm.
The archetype of designer sofas. LC2 is part of the Fauteuil Grand Confort series - armchair, two- and three-seater sofas and pouffe - with frames in chromed steel covered with independent cushions. These are furnishings designed as “domestic equipment” and the separation of the metal frame and the cushions expresses a rationalist approach to industrial production. The armchair was presented at the Salon d’Automne in Paris in 1929, and has been re-issued and produced exclusively by Cassina since 1965. The LC collection has widened over the years, to include the majority of furnishings created by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand under the direction of the Le Corbusier Foundations and Charlotte Perriand, in collaboration with Filippo Alison. Two- or three-seater sofas and pouffes with frames in polishedor painted trivalent chromium plated steel (CR3). Independent cushions stuffed with expanded polyurethane foam and polyester padding or with feathers. Upholstered in leather or fabric. Dimensions: 68 x 130/180 x 70 cm.
"I do not think of designing furniture and things that will have a short life, otherwise I would never begin. A good design must never end but must repeat itself over a very long period of time”, said Magistretti, who with Maralunga has created a timeless product. One that in any case breaks with the traditions and methods of production for sofas of the time. It is said, in fact, that the idea for the backrest came from the breaking of an unsuccessful prototype. Thanks to a bicycle-chain mechanism hidden behind the headrest, it is possible to change, transform and recline the backrest to create different seating positions both formal and informal. Cassina presents the Maralunga sofa with updated dimensions, with a 35% wider and 10% deeper seat. The structure is in tubular iron and the padding in flexible expanded polyurethane with a fabric or leather cover. The backrest has an independent reclining headrest for each seating position. Dimensions: 105 x 214/310 x 100 cm.
Not so much a sofa as a fluid landscape. It is a brand-new form of sofa as it has nine independently reclining parts offering a multitude of positions for relaxation. Flap is one of Edra’s milestones and, in its special editions, has been upholstered in a wide range of fabrics, even tapestry, designed by Binfaré, and in collaboration with Swarovski. Laid flat, it can be used as a bed, while as a seat it can host up to 14 people. A tubular brushed and chrome-plated steel structure with mobile parts on a double steel mechanism, allowing for up to six different positions. The base is in brushed and chrome-plated steel, while the padding is created by hand with more than 180 pieces in elastic and breathable polyurethane. Upholstered in leather or fabric. Dimensions: 34/84 x 355 x 166 cm.
“Time is an inflexible judge that condemns to oblivion all that which is devoid of authentic content”, a merciless statement by Antonio Citterio that appears not to concern the majority of his products, which have become great classics. One of these is Cestone, which stands out for the detail in construction and for the concept of a sofa to be placed in the centre of the room and not along the wall. The most noble parts of the sofa are in fact the back and the sides, which show the artisan weaving in leather, a signature characteristic of Flexform, with a “checkerboard” effect. A modular sofa with a metal frame and panels in woven leather, a metal and wood base, padding in moulded polyurethane and feather-stuffed cushions with a resilient inner core. The covering is removable fabric or leather. Dimensions (single two- and three-seater version): 67 x 225/310 x 97 cm.
More than a modular sofa, Skyline is designed as a form of domestic architecture for extensive modular furnishing and therefore the possibilities and the variety of accessories that fit in between the cushions create an alternation of solids and voids. The arms also serve as containers, while the headrest has a hidden mechanism allow the inclination to be adjusted. With a pure design and formats ranging from mini to maxi, Skyline has been designed to be reconfigured over and over. A series of modular sofas, chaise longue, two-way seats and pouffes in three widths, the sofa has a multi-layered and solid-wood structure with elastic belts. The seat is in flexible expanded polyurethane and memory foam. The arms and backrest are in high-density expanded polyurethane covered in fibre. The padding is in goose down with a completely removable fabric or leather cover. There are 21 different configurations including angular and linear sofas.
A sofa that has become a part of collective culture, at the same level as the works of Andy Warhol or other pop-art masterpieces. Bocca is a sofa in polyurethane that experimented not only with this technology, at the time still relatively unused, but above all with other forms of communication, an expression of the international artistic avant-garde. What few know about the famous sofa is that in the United States it is known as the Marylin sofa, a tribute to the legendary Hollywood diva. The secret to its “natural” beauty is the in the two corners of the mouth, slightly different, just like human lips. It has been photographed by the most famous photographers in the world, such as David La Chapelle and Richard Avedon, and has been produced in various versions, even with irony, as is the case with Dark Lady, a mouth with piercing and a shiny latex-like upholstery. Soft-polyurethane sofa upholstered in fabric. The Dark Lady version is fitted with a removable piercing in chrome-plated metal. Dimensions: 85x212x80cm.
A veritable icon, awarded with the Golden Compass in 2001, the Bubble Club sofa evokes the form of the classic hand-made sofa for interiors with an industrial product for external use, produced entirely in a single rotomolded plastic item. As the company itself defines it, it is the classic “granny’s sofa”, with its strength and irony lying in its de-contextualisation. The range also includes an armchair and table, creating a kind of industrial lounge. Sofa in moulded polyethylene and coloured polyethylene. Dimensions: 76 x 189 x 75 cm.
The sofa is the result of research into comfort carried out by the French duo, combining two materials: stretch upholstery and ultra-soft expanded polyurethane. In the larger version, Ploum is also slightly asymmetric, with the right side of the backrest a little higher than the left, providing a slightly deeper seat on the left and leading the zip closure to be off-centre. Slight geometric variations that modify the angle of the persons seated, favouring conversation. A sofa with a structure in steel tubing, wire and mesh, and padded in high-resistance expanded polyurethane with a contact layer in ultra-soft expanded polyurethane, upholstered in a double-layer quilted weave with visible stitching. Dimensions of two-seater sofa: 66 x 170 x 94 cm.
The quintessence of softness, Extrasoft seeks to identify different forms of relaxation, responding to less formal environments and lifestyles. It is a modular sofa with a reassuring shape that substitutes rigour with a softer image. Cosy and restful seats can be placed next to each other in a geometrical configuration with irregular contours. The modular elements are of differing sizes for both indoors and outdoors. In the island configuration, the volumes create an irregular archipelago. Sofa with a honeycomb core birch wood and fir structure for indoors and marine pine plywood for outdoors. Padding in differentiated density expanded polyurethane covered with a goose down mattress and upholstered in leather or fabric. Dimensions: 35 x 94 x 68/94 cm; 35 x 120 x 68/94 cm; 35 x1 20/134 x 94/120 cm
One of the first flexible and highly modular sofas that currently features 53 elements. It is characterised by a floor-level base with a metal strip running along the entire perimeter of the system. It is clean and elegant, a characteristic that has rendered it a long seller that can be found in the most varied of locations. Sofa with a solid wood structure padded in high resistance expanded polyurethane of varying densities. The seat cushions and the backrest are in sectioned goose down with insets in high-resistance polyurethane. Upholstered in leather and removable fabric. The base is made up of an oval 40 x 20 mm section frame finished in glossy black nickel.
The idea of the sofa came from a strip, folded and modelled to create a seat with an asymmetrical backrest. The choice of the name Victoria and Albert is a tribute to the famous museum in London, where an anthological exhibition was held on Ron Arad’s work in 2000. An iconic sofa, its soft and continuous lines have led to its success and frequent use in contract work for hotels, as well as in many TV sets. A sofa with a steel frame padded with cold-foamed expanded polyurethane. The upholstery is hand-stitched to measure, expressing the artisan skills of the company. Three sizes: 107 x 205 x 95 cm; 107 x 255 x 95 cm; 142 x 297 x 125 cm.
The collaboration between Marcel Wanders and Mario Bellini, as was the case for Ross Lovegrove in 2019, marked a change in direction for Natuzzi towards more creative projects, allowing freedom for the designers to express their own style and personal vision both in the Puglia area and in the production capacity of the company in Santeramo in Colle. Wanders’s sofa has a rustic style, with the contrasting stitching, the two-tone colouring and the leather upholstery recalling the equine world, and the colours and materials of the accessories recalling the Puglia territory. Sofa in two-tone leather with contrasting stitching. The padding is in polyurethane and Climalight, and silicone-coated microfibre, breathable and non-allergic. Dimensions: 84 X 230 x 98 cm.
A seemingly aerodynamic and non-static sofa constructed from inclined and ambiguous lines. Jean Marie Massaud seems almost to cite car design. He has also inserted references to the office world, with floor-level bases instead of feet. The name Sydney evokes the bold soul of the multi-cultural city. Another distinctive element is the visible stitching. The structure is in wood with padding in flexible multi-density polyurethane; the upholstery is in removable fabric. Stitching in drawstring in eight colours. Feet in glossy-painted brown and matte nickel. Dimensions: 71 x 140/155.5/180/190 x 101 cm.
The forefather of sofas with capitonné processing, Chester was designed by the founder of Poltrona Frau. It is one of the first products in the Tolentino-based company and harks back to the classic model from Edwardian England, and to those chairs that filled English clubs and country homes. Permanently in production since its launch, Chester is also characterised by its curved armrest and the series of pins that complete the leather upholstery. Over the years its proportions have been revisited and it has been reinterpreted in a range of models, with four- and five-seater sofas and with pouffes. A sofa with supporting structure in seasoned birch, the backrest and armrests are stuffed with hand-modelled vegetable horsehair. The springs are biconical and hand-tied to jute belts. The seat cushion is in expanded polyurethane and goose down. Dimensions: 67 x 160/208 x 91 cm.
As with many of the items designed by the Archizoom group, Superonda is a challenge to upper-class conventions, stimulating the creativity and fantasy of the user. It is the first sofa without a frame, made up of two waves obtained from a single block of polyurethane cut into two parts with an “S” shaped incision, which can be interlocked and stacked to produce different configurations. Its lightness and modular design allow for a range of uses: sofa, bed and chaise longue. A frameless sofa with two “S” cut blocks of polyurethane upholstered in shiny leatherette in white, black and red. Dimensions: 38 x 240 x 100 cm.
A monolith of softness with rounded forms that cover the feet and touch the ground. Bstudio and Marco Boga reinterpret a classic by Arrigo Arrigoni from the 1970s. Composed of padding in polyurethane foam and goose feather, the proportions and the idea of roundness change according to whether it is a two- or three-seater sofa, an armchair or a pouff. Whether in fabric or leather, Piumottoø8 demonstrates chameleon-like traits that render it suitable to a wide range of environments. The supporting frame is in metal section, while the padding is C.F.C.-free non-deformable polyurethane foam in differentiated density and 100% polyester fibre. The seats in goose feather are with a supporting core in non-deformable foam. The covering is removable fabric or leather. Dimensions: 72 x 194/220/260/295 x 64 cm.