Arflex
Encyclopedia
Arflex is an Italian
company that makes and sells contemporary furniture.
and elastic tape made by Pirelli
– presented the technical specifications of the new products to Marco Zanuso
who at once saw the huge potential of the new materials in interior furnishings and initiated an experimental programme of operations that went on until 1950. There are moments in the life and history of any manufacturing company that have special significance and are a source of universally recognized merit. Those first memorable moments in the history of Arflex coincide with the company’s creation in 1950, in modest premises in Milan’s Corso di Porta Vittoria. It was there that the first manufacturing and sales team was formed but the arflex company was only presented to the public for the first time in 1951, at the IX Triennale
in Milan
.
to Marco Zanuso
’s Lady
armchair was above all recognition of this side of arflex’s manufacturing philosophy. So the company’s early initiatives are indicative of a stance we may safely term innovative, or perhaps even avant-garde. On the one hand we have a methodologically exemplary contribution from one of the leading figures in Italian architecture, and on the other the commitment of a manufacturer unburdened by the ingrained habits of craft-scale production. New materials.
Topolino.
became a symbol of the developing design culture in post-war Italy
, a generation of designers whose social commitment was coloured by the ideological heritage of the Modern Movement. And so the collection of Arflex products is first and foremost an overview of the fruitful collaboration of manufacturer and designer.Marco Zanuso
(as a designer) and arflex (as a manufacturer) started out together, the only such case in the history of furnishings in Italy
.
, De Carlo
, Belgiojoso, Peressutti, Roger
, Carboni, Pulitzer, Menghi, Joe Colombo
, Casati
, Spadolini, Tito Agnoli, Marenco
, Cini Boeri
, Carlo Colombo, Cristof Pilelt, Vincent Van Duysen, Michele De Lucchi, Ettore Sottsass
, Marco Piva
, and many others.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
company that makes and sells contemporary furniture.
The Company History
In 1947 a group of researchers and entrepreneurs who after the war had begun to work on two new upholstering materials – foam rubberFoam rubber
Foam rubber refers to rubber that has been manufactured with a foaming agent to create an air-filled matrix structure. Commercial foam rubbers are generally either polyurethane foam or natural foam rubber latex. Latex foam rubber, used in mattresses, is well-known for its endurance.-See also:*...
and elastic tape made by Pirelli
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. SpA is a diverse multinational company based in Milan, Italy. The company, the world’s fifth largest tyre manufacturer, is present in over 160 countries, has 20 manufacturing sites around the world and a network of around 10,000 distributors and retailers.Founded in Milan in 1872,...
– presented the technical specifications of the new products to Marco Zanuso
Marco Zanuso
-The early years:Marco Zanuso was born in Milano May 14, 1916.He was one of a group of Italian designers from Milan shaping the international idea of "good design" in the postwar years. Trained in architecture at the Politecnico di Milano university, he opened his own design office in 1945...
who at once saw the huge potential of the new materials in interior furnishings and initiated an experimental programme of operations that went on until 1950. There are moments in the life and history of any manufacturing company that have special significance and are a source of universally recognized merit. Those first memorable moments in the history of Arflex coincide with the company’s creation in 1950, in modest premises in Milan’s Corso di Porta Vittoria. It was there that the first manufacturing and sales team was formed but the arflex company was only presented to the public for the first time in 1951, at the IX Triennale
Triennale
La Triennale di Milano is a design museum and events venue in Milan, Italy, located inside the Palace of Art building, part of Parco Sempione, the park grounds adjacent to Castello Sforzesco. It hosts exhibitions and events which highlight contemporary Italian design, urban planning, architecture,...
in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
The Avant Garde & The Experimentation
This early contact with a wider audience in the context of an avant-garde artistic event is intensely significant. The company’s over-riding interest in experimentation, although by no means divorced from commercial considerations, testifies to its desire to create products with a high technological and aesthetic content, based on a foundation of research in depth. The gold medal awarded at the IX TriennaleTriennale
La Triennale di Milano is a design museum and events venue in Milan, Italy, located inside the Palace of Art building, part of Parco Sempione, the park grounds adjacent to Castello Sforzesco. It hosts exhibitions and events which highlight contemporary Italian design, urban planning, architecture,...
to Marco Zanuso
Marco Zanuso
-The early years:Marco Zanuso was born in Milano May 14, 1916.He was one of a group of Italian designers from Milan shaping the international idea of "good design" in the postwar years. Trained in architecture at the Politecnico di Milano university, he opened his own design office in 1945...
’s Lady
Lady
The word lady is a polite term for a woman, specifically the female equivalent to, or spouse of, a lord or gentleman, and in many contexts a term for any adult woman...
armchair was above all recognition of this side of arflex’s manufacturing philosophy. So the company’s early initiatives are indicative of a stance we may safely term innovative, or perhaps even avant-garde. On the one hand we have a methodologically exemplary contribution from one of the leading figures in Italian architecture, and on the other the commitment of a manufacturer unburdened by the ingrained habits of craft-scale production. New materials.
The Production
Between 1951 and 1954 arflex produced various models of car seat designed by Carlo Barassi. These could be fitted into the vehicle instead of standard production seats and offered outstandig comfort,thanks to the use of foam rubber and elastic tape. The covers could be removed and the seatbacks were adjustable. Arflex strove to make its contribution to the comfort of those Italians who were beginning to travel just after the war. The most successful of those car seats were the "MilleMIglia" and the "Sedile Lettino", a seat that could be turned into a makeshift bed. Both were designed for the FiatFiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
Topolino.
Zanuso
Marco ZanusoMarco Zanuso
-The early years:Marco Zanuso was born in Milano May 14, 1916.He was one of a group of Italian designers from Milan shaping the international idea of "good design" in the postwar years. Trained in architecture at the Politecnico di Milano university, he opened his own design office in 1945...
became a symbol of the developing design culture in post-war Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, a generation of designers whose social commitment was coloured by the ideological heritage of the Modern Movement. And so the collection of Arflex products is first and foremost an overview of the fruitful collaboration of manufacturer and designer.Marco Zanuso
Marco Zanuso
-The early years:Marco Zanuso was born in Milano May 14, 1916.He was one of a group of Italian designers from Milan shaping the international idea of "good design" in the postwar years. Trained in architecture at the Politecnico di Milano university, he opened his own design office in 1945...
(as a designer) and arflex (as a manufacturer) started out together, the only such case in the history of furnishings in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Designer
The number of designers who contributed to the arflex range increased steadily: Franco AlbiniFranco Albini
Franco Albini was an Italian Neo-Rationalist architect and designer.A native of Robbiate, near Milan, Albini obtained his degree in architecture at Politecnico di Milano University in 1929 and began his professional career working for Gio Ponti. He started displaying his works at...
, De Carlo
De Carlo
De Carlo is an Italian surname and may refer to:*Andrea De Carlo , Italian writer*Giancarlo De Carlo , Italian architect*Yvonne De Carlo , Canadian actress...
, Belgiojoso, Peressutti, Roger
Roger
Roger is primarily a common first name of English, French and Catalan usage, from the Germanic elements hrod and ger meaning "famous with the spear." The Latin form of the name is Rogerius, as used by a few medieval figures.The name Roger was transmitted to England by the Normans after the...
, Carboni, Pulitzer, Menghi, Joe Colombo
Joe Cesare Colombo
Joe Colombo, born Cesare Colombo was an Italian industrial designer.-Biography:Cesare "Joe" Colombo was until 1949 educated at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera, the academy of fine arts, in Milano as a painter and studied afterwards until 1954 Architecture at Politecnico di Milano...
, Casati
Casati
Casati is a surname, and may refer to:* Ambrogio Casati , an Italian painter* Gabrio Casati , an Italian politician* Gaetano Casati , an Italian explorer of Africa...
, Spadolini, Tito Agnoli, Marenco
Marenco
Marenco is a surname, and may refer to:*Carlo Marenco*Leopoldo Marenco*Luiz Marenco*Romualdo Marenco...
, Cini Boeri
Cini Boeri
Cini Boeri is an Italian archiect and designer.She took her degree in the Politecnico di Milano university in 1951. Different examples of her work can be found in museums and international exhibitions....
, Carlo Colombo, Cristof Pilelt, Vincent Van Duysen, Michele De Lucchi, Ettore Sottsass
Ettore Sottsass
Ettore Sottsass was an Italian architect and designer of the late 20th century. His body of designs included furniture, jewellery, glass, lighting and office machine design.-Early career:...
, Marco Piva
Marco Piva
-Biography:Marco Piva, Italian architect and designer, was born in Milan in 1952.In 1977 he graduated at Politecnico di Milano and founded STUDIODADA in 1978, one of the design offices of the radical period....
, and many others.