1950s Brown Teak and Aluminum Library by Franco Albini 'h'
View Similar Items
1950s Brown Teak and Aluminum Library by Franco Albini 'h'
About the Item
- Creator:Poggi (Manufacturer),Franco Albini (Designer)
- Similar to:Gio Ponti (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 122.05 in (310 cm)Width: 102.37 in (260 cm)Depth: 13.39 in (34 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Frankfurt, Hessen, DE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU958516670352
Franco Albini
While working under the polymath Gio Ponti — arguably the most important figure in 20th-century Italian modernism — furniture designer Franco Albini nurtured a love for modern forms combined with traditional craft techniques.
Albini is widely known for working with organic materials such as rattan and cane for his chairs and other seating, but he also played a pivotal role in the Italian rationalist movement of the early 20th century, which saw architects and furniture makers applying a strict emphasis on geometry in their work. Rationalists drew on Ancient Roman architecture but rejected ornament, much in the way that Le Corbusier and celebrated Bauhaus figures such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe had in their modernist furniture.
Albini received his degree in architecture from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1929, and, in 1931, he founded his practice in Milan, where he tackled workers’ housing and other reconstruction projects. A gifted urban planner, he also developed the Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Rosso and Tesoro di San Lorenzo museums in Genoa. While Albini is revered for his Margherita chair — a Triennale Milano award winner created for Bonacina in 1951 — he also collaborated with manufacturers Poggi and Cassina in the 1940s on seating, tables and more that embodied his artistic vision. Of that mid-century work, the one piece that perhaps best captures this vision is the iconic Luisa chair.
With its cherry red upholstery and sinuous wooden legs that seem to float aboveground, the Luisa is a genuine masterpiece. It is also a testament to Albini’s perfectionism, as it endured several prototypes — including one made by Knoll in the late 1940s — and took approximately 15 years to design. Poggi launched the final version of the armchair in 1955, earning Albini the prestigious Compasso d’Oro from Italy’s Association for Industrial Design. It is produced today by Cassina. Albini named the chair for someone who likely saw the process firsthand: his personal secretary of two decades, Luisa Colombini.
Find vintage Franco Albini furniture on 1stDibs.
- Franco Albini Italian Midcentury Dark Wood Bookcase Lb7 for Poggi, 1950sBy Franco Albini, PoggiLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITItalian dark wood shelves bookcase with floor and ceiling uprights, designed by Franco Albini in 1956 for Poggi Pavia, shelves and container with wood veneer adjustable in height and...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsMetal
- Franco Albini LB7 Bookcase in Teak Wood by Poggi Pavia 1950s ItalyBy Poggi, Franco AlbiniLocated in Montecatini Terme, ITLB7 bookcase composed of a single module with shelves and a storage unit with two doors, made in veneered solid teak wood, and black lacquered metal details. Designed by Franco Alb...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsMetal
- Mid-Century Modern LB7 Bookcase by Franco Albini for Poggi . 1950sBy Franco Albini, PoggiLocated in Madrid, ESA three modular bookcase designed by Fanco Albini and edited by Poggi in the 50s.It is composed of three modules and 15 shelves.The central module measures 90 cm length and the two l...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsMetal
- Franco Albini Veliero Bookcase for Cassina, Italy, newBy Cassina, Franco AlbiniLocated in Berlin, DEThe price given applies to the piece as seen in the first picture. Prices vary dependent on the chosen material. The shelf is available in natural ashwood or black stained ashwood wi...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsMetal
$43,251 / item - Franco Albini Modular Bookcase "Infinito" for Cassina, Italy, newBy Cassina, Franco AlbiniLocated in Berlin, DEThe price given applies to the bookcase as shown in the first picture. Prices vary dependent on the color, size and material. Modular Bookcase designed by Franco Albini, relaunched in 2008. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy. An extremely flexible bookcase, with myriad modular options, suited to being against a wall or as a room partition...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsWood
- Franco Albini Bookcase Infinito Wall for Cassina, Italy, newBy Franco Albini, CassinaLocated in Berlin, DEPrices vary dependent on the chosen size and material. Available in: natural ash, black stained ash, American walnut. Different elements and sizes of the bookcase are available, too....Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Bookcases
MaterialsWood
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Barnaba Fornasetti’s Hallucinatory House Has His Father’s Spirit
Behind a nondescript facade in northeastern Milan is the magical residence of Barnaba Fornasetti. It's a shrine to the style developed by his design-legend father, which still defies categorization.
Billy Cotton Layers His Interiors with Lived-In Comfort
The Brooklyn-based designer is adept at styles ranging from austere to over-the-top, espousing an architectural, detail-oriented approach also evident in his line of furniture and lighting.