47 - MARCO ZANUSO (Milan, 1916–2001) for Arflex.

MARCO ZANUSO (Milan, 1916–2001) for Arflex. “Woodline” Sofa. Italy, 1962. Curved wood and original cognac-colored leather upholstery. In very good condition, with a patina on the original leather. Measurements: 70 x 133 x 83 cm. The Woodline sofa stands out for its bentwood frame, whose continuous lines and side arches define a light, enveloping silhouette. The combination of the warmth of the wood with the original cognac-colored leather upholstery creates a textural hallmark of mid-20th-century Italian design. Its construction reflects Zanuso’s search for new structural and ergonomic solutions, in which materials are not limited to fulfilling a practical function but rather determine the formal expression of the furniture. The Woodline series is part of Marco Zanuso’s collaboration with Arflex, a firm founded in Milan in 1947 that played a decisive role in the renewal of Italian furniture through experimentation with new materials and manufacturing techniques. In contrast to the rigid forms of Rationalism, Zanuso explored a more organic aesthetic, drawing on the tradition of bentwood furniture, reinterpreted through industrial processes. The result is a piece that combines structural precision, comfort, and a distinct sculptural character. An Italian architect and designer, Marco Zanuso designed the Olivetti complexes in São Paulo and Buenos Aires, in which he used spherical triangular modules covered by a concrete shell. As a designer, he created furniture such as the 1964 Fourline armchair, a series of children’s furniture in plastic and lacquered wood, and the Locarno and Mastro tables, as well as radio and television sets and a wide variety of industrial products. A professor at the Milan Polytechnic, he was appointed president of the Industrial Design Association in 1966. In 1994, he received the San Carlo Borromeo Award for his lifetime achievement. In very good condition, with a patina on the original leather.