By Gabriele
Over the past few months, we have published 25 design icons that have marked the history of 20th-century furniture.
We propose to you a ranking of our 10 favorites (Italy version).
10th place: Ninfea Chair
Designed by Gio Ponti and made by Fratelli Reguitti in 1958.
Just like the flower it takes its name from, the Ninfea is a summer seat meant to be opened during the daytime, under the sun, and closed at sunset… a chair to use once this period of emergency has passed, so to speak.
9th place: Cubosfera
Designed by Alessandro Mendini and made in 1968 for Fidenza Vetraria, the Cubosfera is one of the many masterpieces of the eclectic Milanese architect.
8th place: Soriana Sofa
Designed by the Scarpa couple, this timeless icon was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1970 for “the complexity of the image achieved with constructional and technical simplicity and coherence.”
One of our all-time favorite sofas combining beauty and comfort.
7th place: DC 154 Chest of Drawers
Designed by Carlo de Carli in 1963, it stands out as one of the most successful and interesting creations of those years.
The DC 154 is a refined piece of furniture with a clean, classic line; at the same time, it has an eccentric and contemporary side revealed in its small details.
6th place: P40
Designed by Osvaldo Borsani and produced by Tecno, the P40 is a “movable furniture” equipped with mechanisms that morphologically change its shape according to the user’s needs.
A great classic, we absolutely adore it.
5th Place: RR 126 Brionvega
Designed in 1965, the radiogram features a style as unique as it is inimitable. Probably one of the most beautiful industrial design pieces ever created by the Castiglioni brothers.
4th Place: Medea
Produced from the 1950s onward, over time they have become an emblem of 20th-century Italian design.
Made from curved plywood and glossy polyester, they feature a special double wood curvature.
Almost our favorites.
3rd Place: Lady
Designed in 1951 by Marco Zanuso and manufactured by Arflex, the Lady is one of the most iconic chairs in 20th-century Italian design.
Awarded the gold medal at the IX Triennale in Milan, it was immediately appreciated for its innovative characteristics.
For us, it is the queen of armchairs.
2nd Place: Superleggera
A chair that can be lifted with a single finger (only 1,700 grams) and is virtually indestructible. This is the 699 Superleggera, designed by Gio Ponti and manufactured by Cassina in 1957.
1st Place: Arco
At the top of our top 10 design icons is the Arco lamp, designed by the Castiglioni brothers and manufactured by Flos.
For us (and we are not the only ones to think so), it is an Icon among Icons.
