Dining Chairs in Boucle by Carlo Scarpa for Cassina, 1970s, Set of 3

Born in Venice in 1906, Carlo Scarpa studied architectural design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Venice. After graduating in 1926, he taught architectural drawing at the Academy, where he held multiple posts throughout his life. At the same time, Scarpa launched his career as an industrial and interior designer, creating multiple designs for Venini Glass Works in Venice. His most recognized pre-war project, however, was the 1935 restoration and renovation of the School of Economics at the University of Venice. His post-war commissions consisted primarily of historic building renovations, interior remodeling, and exhibition installations, often revealing the influence of Art Nouveau, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Josef Hoffmann.

Scarpa’s architecture is characterized by a great sensitivity to the changes of time. Important projects include the Canova Plaster Cast Gallery in Possagno (Treviso) (1955-1957); Olivetti showroom in Piazza S. Marco, Venice (1957-1958); and the Banca Popolare di Verona, which Scarpa began in 1973, and which was completed after his death by Arrigo Rudi.

He created multiple landscape, garden, and building designs across Italy, as well as in Canada, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, and France. He died in Japan in 1978. He is buried, fittingly, in the Brion Tomb complex in the San Vito d'Altivole (Treviso) cemetery—a 1969 Scarpa design that some call his most important work.

Italian furniture manufacturing giant Cassina, originally named Amedeo Cassina, was founded by brothers Cesare (1909-1979) and Umberto (1910-1992) Cassina in Meda, Italy in 1927. Although initially specialized in bespoke woodworking and high-end interiors, by the 1950s the brothers took the company in a new direction, anticipating the growing demand for mass-produced home furnishings. Cassina is often credited with introducing industrial design to Italy and has built an international reputation for collaborating with some of the world’s most respected designers.

Notably, in 1964 (while famed architect Le Corbusier was still alive), Cassina signed the first exclusive licensing agreement covering the edition rights for designs by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and Charlotte Perriand. The company soon after launched the I Maestri Collection which over the decades has gathered major icons of design under the Cassina brand, such as the LC4 Lounge (1928) jointly designed by Le Corbusier, Jeanneret, and Perriand, as well as Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld’s 635 Red & Blue Armchair (1918), Scottish architect-designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Hill House Chair (1902), and many more.

With a focus more on partnering with the best designers rather than creating and maintaining a particular style, Cassina is responsible for some of the most recognized and beloved designs of the 20^th and 21^st centuries. Highlights include Italian architect-designer Gio Ponti’s Superleggera Chair (1957), German designer Konstantin Grcic’s Kanu Chair (2009), Iranian-British architect Zaha Hadid’s Zephyr Sofa (2013), and French designer Philippe Starck’s My World Sofa (2013).  Throughout its visionary collaborations with both design luminaries and cutting-edge experiments with new talents, Cassina has remained dedicated to the Italian design ideals of craftsmanship and quality, and the brand continues to excel in the fusion of industrial technology and artisanal production.

Cassina’s designs are included in permanent collections the world over, such as the Museum of Modern Art (New York), Vitra Design Museum (Weil am Rhein) and London Design Museum.

Cassina is now a part of the prestigious Poltrona Frau Group.

* All images courtesy of Cassina.