Poltronova is an Italian brand specializing in
designer furniture and
accessories. Known worldwide for its catalog studded with icons of radical Italian design, it was born in 1957 in Agliana, in the province of Pistoia, from the inspiration of four visionaries. Artist Sergio Camilli brought together entrepreneur Mario Bonacchi and two carpenters Loredano Bucciantini and Vinicio Scatizzi around the idea of making
armchairs, but not just any armchairs. Camilli plans to bring design to his region, Tuscany, so he goes looking for none other than emerging artist
Ettore Sottsass in Milan. The choice is not random, and reflects the company's vision, which is oriented toward cutting-edge design. Sottsass served as artistic director until 1973, and representatives of radical design paraded in the company, including the
Archizoom and
Superstudio groups and, following, the names that made Italian design history, from Gae Aulenti to Angelo Mangiarotti, from Paolo Portoghesi to Giovanni Michelucci. The international launch took place under the spotlight of the famous exhibition dedicated to Italian design "Italy: the new domestic landscape" at MoMA in New York in 1972, and many pieces entered the Olympus of design icons. After the departure of Camilli and Sottsass, the focus shifted to the production of more commercial collections. Today, thanks to the direction of architect Roberta Meloni, the Poltronova archives, preserved in the Poltronova Study Center, are back on the scene, relaunching the company with reissues of historic pieces, produced on commission.
Poltronova armchairs and sofas, timeless pop icons
Timeless like all icons, the
Superonda sofa, launched in 1967, design group Archizoom, is distinguished by its characteristic wave-shaped silhouette. The seat and back, carved from two individual polyurethane blocks, fit together and overlap, creating countless configurations. Sky upholstery with a glossy finish comes in white, red or black. The catalog also offers
Superonda Special, a series of reissues created in 2017 by several members of the Archizoom group, on the occasion of its 50th anniversary.
Ingenious solutions in their simplicity characterize much of the radical design of the late 1960s, as evidenced by the
Sofo sofa, design Superstudio. A polyurethane block shaped in an S-shape becomes a single seat, a sofa, an island for relaxation, in endless possibilities. The decorative task is entrusted to two wide central strips, which are colored by drawing on garish pop hues, contrasting with the bottom.
Finally, one cannot fail to mention the famous
Joe armchair, class of 1970, created by designers
De Pas, D'Urbino and Lomazzi, an object straight out of a Dadaist dream. The baseball glove of champion Joe DiMaggio is transformed into a comfortable and soft armchair, the fingers act as a backrest, the slanted leather striped stitching emphasizes the base. The leather upholstery, available in a variety of colors, is covered in pop flowers on a white background in the limited edition Joe Bloom, design Hussain Ali Abbass Harba. Or again, in the special 50th anniversary edition
Joe Plush, entrusted to DDL Studio, which chooses a faux fur upholstery, declined in pink, taupe and sugar paper colors.
Poltronova furniture complements, playful and irreverent design
The Poltronova catalog also includes a series of irreverently designed furniture complements. Famous is the
Ultrafragola mirror, designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1970 and inspired by a flowing, wavy foliage that is embodied in the pink thermo-perforated opaline PETG frame that lets the LED light inserted inside filter through. Riviera palm trees are transformed into
Sanremo floor lamps, thanks to Archizoom's magical touch. The base consists of a lacquered metal sheet stem with a pearl effect, while the leaves on top, made of laser-cut Perspex®, diffuse light and create striking effects thanks to their transparency and fluorescent green color. Created for fun during the preparation of an exhibition dedicated to Radical Design in 1966, the
Passiflora floor lamp consists of a yellow Perspex® element, shaped in the stylized floral form typical of pop aesthetics, whose slanted orthogonal projection forms the body, in white opaline Perspex®. Generous is the
collection of rugs, created by the Poltronova Study Center and inspired by the original graphics of the designers who have collaborated with the company, such as the
Sofo rug, the
Stella and
Stellina rugs, the colorful
Farfalla rug or again, the
Autostrada rug, a prototype signed by
Lapo Binazzi in 1990, inspired by road paving signs and declined in different colors and shapes, so that playful and evocative paths can be built.
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![Making [[DESIGN]] with… Poltronova lab](https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/1476934690-92f2466553b098b6826e518a61a57bed9b93a780b8d163bd13be555d0edaf495-d_640 "Making [[DESIGN]] with… Poltronova lab")
