arflex
arflex was founded in 1947 in Milan, Corso di Porta Vittoria, by four engineers from tyre manufacturer Pirelli: Carlo Barassi, Renato Teani, Pio Reggiani and Aldo Bai. The name — short for "flexible furniture" — was programmatic: the company was among the first in the world to experiment with foam rubber and elastic tape as upholstery materials, transferring Pirelli technology into furniture. The first design partner was architect Marco Zanuso. In 1951, the first models debuted at the IX Milan Triennale and immediately received international recognition.
The design history of arflex is an anthology of European post-war modernism: the Lady armchair (Zanuso, 1951, gold medal IX Triennale, part of MoMA's permanent collection), Sleep-o-matic sofa (Zanuso, 1951, gold medal X Triennale), Fiorenza armchair (Franco Albini, 1952), Bobo (Cini Boeri, 1967 — first monoblock seat in polyurethane foam without internal structure), Serpentone (Boeri, 1971 — indefinitely extendable polyurethane sofa), Strips (Boeri, 1972, Compasso d'Oro 1979), Gaia (Carlo Bartoli, 1965 — polyester resin/GRP). Since 2005 Carlo Colombo has served as artistic director. Key contemporary partners: Claesson Koivisto Rune (Hillside, Hug, Bonsai, Yuzu, Gloria), Neri&Hu (Cradle, Solice), Luca Nichetto (Tellin), Bernhardt & Vella (Alba, Palazzo, Papillon), Studio Asaï (Sigmund). In 1966, arflex co-founded the design magazine Ottagono with Cassina, Tecno and Bernini. The current production facility is in Giussano (Brianza), 35,000 m²; arflex is represented through 8 own showrooms and a global dealer network. Works in the permanent collections of MoMA New York, Triennale Milano, Triennale Tokyo, the Chicago Athenaeum and the Museum of Contemporary Furniture in Ravenna.
For architects and hospitality specialists, arflex is one of the most significant addresses in Italian design history — with a living archive, an active design programme and proven contract capability from hotel lounges to executive offices.
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arflex
arflex was founded in 1947 in Milan, Corso di Porta Vittoria, by four engineers from tyre manufacturer Pirelli: Carlo Barassi, Renato Teani, Pio Reggiani and Aldo Bai. The name — short for "flexible furniture" — was programmatic: the company was among the first in the world to experiment with foam rubber and elastic tape as upholstery materials, transferring Pirelli technology into furniture. The first design partner was architect Marco Zanuso. In 1951, the first models debuted at the IX Milan Triennale and immediately received international recognition.
The design history of arflex is an anthology of European post-war modernism: the Lady armchair (Zanuso, 1951, gold medal IX Triennale, part of MoMA's permanent collection), Sleep-o-matic sofa (Zanuso, 1951, gold medal X Triennale), Fiorenza armchair (Franco Albini, 1952), Bobo (Cini Boeri, 1967 — first monoblock seat in polyurethane foam without internal structure), Serpentone (Boeri, 1971 — indefinitely extendable polyurethane sofa), Strips (Boeri, 1972, Compasso d'Oro 1979), Gaia (Carlo Bartoli, 1965 — polyester resin/GRP). Since 2005 Carlo Colombo has served as artistic director. Key contemporary partners: Claesson Koivisto Rune (Hillside, Hug, Bonsai, Yuzu, Gloria), Neri&Hu (Cradle, Solice), Luca Nichetto (Tellin), Bernhardt & Vella (Alba, Palazzo, Papillon), Studio Asaï (Sigmund). In 1966, arflex co-founded the design magazine Ottagono with Cassina, Tecno and Bernini. The current production facility is in Giussano (Brianza), 35,000 m²; arflex is represented through 8 own showrooms and a global dealer network. Works in the permanent collections of MoMA New York, Triennale Milano, Triennale Tokyo, the Chicago Athenaeum and the Museum of Contemporary Furniture in Ravenna.
For architects and hospitality specialists, arflex is one of the most significant addresses in Italian design history — with a living archive, an active design programme and proven contract capability from hotel lounges to executive offices.