A rare armchair Model 811, with a walnut structure and rubber bands, designed by Gio Ponti and produced in Italy by Cassina in 1957.
There are artifacts from past decades that, due to their style and design, immediately evoke a specific historical period, eliciting a pleasant sense of nostalgia in the beholder. However, there are also particular objects, the result of the ingenuity of great minds, capable not only of withstanding the passage of time but also of engaging vigorously with contemporaneity. These are designer objects, conceived from the ideal vision of personalities able to transcend epochs. This is the case of Gio Ponti's Mod. 811 armchair.
Presenting it today means introducing an object that cannot be simply considered a piece of furniture or a curious collectible. Seemingly simple, made of wood with elastic Pirelli bands covered in fabric, this armchair was designed in 1957. It is surprising how, despite the simplicity of the materials used, there is a great aesthetic refinement, never merely decorative, but perfectly functional.
The reclined shape of the backrest and the breadth of the seat suggest comfort through a series of diverging lines and sharp edges—almost an obsessive recurrence throughout Ponti's production—that invite one to sit, almost to recline, supported by the crossed elastic bands. Comfort and convenience have been sought and achieved in this armchair through a subtraction of padded material rather than an exponential increase. With this armchair, Ponti seems to reinvent the classical idea of a bergère for reading and rest, breaking the age-old dichotomy whereby more padding meant greater comfort, more springs, and more cushions. The essential line of the thin mattress delicately laid over the tightly stretched rubber bands of the armchair is surprising. "Less is more" indeed.
To testify to Ponti's appreciation for the project that inspired this series of seats, there are also vintage images taken inside the architect's own private apartment. In evocative black and white, one can glimpse the silhouettes of the armchairs directly inspired by the Model 811.
From an industrial history perspective, these armchairs represent one of the peaks of Gio Ponti's collaboration with the Cassina manufacturing company. Memorable for the design history are the figures of the two entrepreneurs, Umberto and Cesare, who in 1927 gave their surname to this artisanal furniture factory, turning it into a synonym for Made in Italy.
The armchair is offered with a frame and hardware in original condition; professionally restored, finished and upholstered. The Pirelli elastic bands have been replaced to ensure optimal comfort.
The dimensions of the armchair are: 90x70x87
Bibliography: Pier Carlo Santini, "Gli anni del design Italiano, Ritratto di Cesare Cassina", Milano, 1981, pp. 109 and 114
