Vintage 1960s-70s Desk BBPR Arco by Olivetti Laminate Metal Italy

Designer: Studio BBPR

BBPR is the acronym that indicates the group of Italian architects formed in 1932 by: Gian Luigi Banfi (1910 - 1945) Lodovico Barbiano of Belgiojoso (1909 - 2004) Enrico Peressutti (1908 - 1976) Ernesto Nathan Rogers (1909 - 1969). Graduated from the Polytechnic of Milan, the four designers in their initial works follow the themes of Italian rationalism of the thirties, collaborating on some projects with Figini and Pollini. They are distinguished by various urban plans, the Pavia Town Plan (1932), the Elba Island Tourist Plan (1939), and above all for the most important and far-reaching the Aosta Valley Town Plan (1936-1937). . In this period they actively participated in the controversy that arose between rationalists and traditionalists and at first, like others, they believed they could support the struggle for freedom of expression and for the triumph of modern architecture within fascism, but later the introduction of the racial laws of 1938 that also affect one of their collaborators, the architects of the BBPR embrace the values of the Resistance. The vicissitudes of the war led Ernesto Nathan Rogers to flee to Switzerland and Gian Luigi Banfi to take an active part in the Resistance and to die in the Gusen extermination camp in 1945. Lodovico Barbiano Belgiojoso was also deported to Mauthausen-Gusen, but managed to survive his imprisonment of the field. The BBPR studio was entrusted with the preparation of the IX Triennale di Milano in 1951.
Find out more about the BBPR with our insights:
FineArt: Floor Lamp 'Ro'

Production: Olivetti

Olivetti S.p.A. è una società del gruppo Telecom Italia che opera nel settore dell'informatica. In passato è stata una delle aziende più importanti al mondo nel campo delle macchine per scrivere, da calcolo e dell'elettronica (STMicroelectronics ne discende in parte). È stata tra le prime aziende a produrre personal computer e stampanti da ufficio. Il primato del primo pc può essere assegnato all'Olivetti grazie al Programma 101, che venne prodotto nel 1964 e ottenne un grande successo nel mercato statunitense.

Time:

Material: