Modular Wave Sofa and Chaise Longue, Giovanni Offredi (1970s)
A modular sofa designed in the style of a wave by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Italia Furniture. Anodised flat steel frame with two or three seats, or chaise longue, complete with polyurethane injected cushions. It is still one of the “classics” of the Saporiti Italia collection, pictured here in a tan leather. The 3-seater sofa measures 73 x 290 x 105cm, larger than most typical modern 3-seater sofas.
Schiffini Kitchen, Vico Magistretti (1970s)
Schiffini is a leading manufacturer of high-end kitchen furniture renowned worldwide, established in the 1920s. In the 1950s Schiffini re-oriented itself toward the kitchen furniture industry and became the first Italian company to start the series production of modular kitchens. Particularly significant to Schiffini’s history is the relationship with Vico Magistretti, which influenced and renovated significantly the company’s image and thinking. Initiated in 1965, this collaboration led to numerous and fortunate intuitions that gave rise to kitchen models, still “classics” of modern-day production.
Emilio Ambasz and Giancarlo Pireli, Lambert Bank
Emilio Ambasz and Giancarlo Pireli, together with Gianni Cicorella, restructured the Milan branch of the Lambert bank. The bank was housed in a late 19th century building, and was decorated in styles ranging from High Renaissance on the ground floor, Mannerist details on the mezzanine, and culminating in a grand hall or mirrors on the top floor. The decorative complex was left as found, in order to make it a subdued background foil against which the new installations were contrasted.
Radio City Music Hall ladies Room (NY), Evelyn Hofer (1978)
The women’s lounge on the first mezzanine at Radio City Music Hall, New York, was designed by Evelyn Hofer. The painted wall decorations are by Japenese artist Yasuo Kuniyoshi. Built in 1932, the Radio City Music Hall is a prime example of art deco architectural style that has withstood the test of time The venue is complete with plenty of gold, reflective surfaces and geometric design.
Lighting, Lisa Johanssen Pape
Lisa Johansson-Pape (21 January 1907 – 5 October 1989) was a Finnish designer, best known for her work in lighting. She was the most significant Finnish lighting designer in the second half of the 1900s. Her priorities were first about the functions then the design. In addition to the famous Milan Triennial exhibitions, Johansson-Pape represented Finland in venues around the world. She provided the lighting fixtures for the Finnish display at the New York World Fair in 1939 and the Design in Scandinavia exhibition that travelled to multiple museums in the US in the mid-1950s. She also organised a Rya textile exhibition, which debuted in Helsinki in 1956 before it toured the Nordic countries and the rest of Europe. In 1960, her solo exhibition Light—Glass—Metal opened in Helsinki, followed in 1966 by a joint exhibition with friend and textile artist Dora Jung in Stockholm.