To express the process that led to the creation of Aurelio Zanotta’s Maggiolina armchair, we could write “A Cinderella transformed into a Princess”.
Based on the hypothesis of a cheap, detachable armchair, it was designed by Marco Zanuso in the late 1940s for a competition organized by MoMA in New York. It had a structure of curved steel tubing from which a burlap ‘bag’ was suspended; its ‘pockets’ contained two plywood panels inserted to support two padded cushions used as seats and backrests.
When Zanuso designed the Maggiolina armchair in 1947, it abandoned the traditional concept of a traditional armchair with a frame made with artisanal techniques and experimented with an entirely new construction system designed for mass industrial production.
Single seat, Ø 18 mm, 18/8 polished or black painted tubular steel frame or natural or black nickel-satin finish. Hangers made of bovine leather pigmentato 90. New goose feather back cushion. Seat cushion upholstered in polyurethane/Dacron Du Pont. Cushions and armrest covers are Ecofire or leather. Removable outer cover in fabric or leather. The armrests of the model with fabric-covered cushions are leather-covered in harmony with the calf pigmented strap. In the model with leather or Ecofire-covered cushions, the armrests are in the same cover as the cushions.
Dimensions (cm):
Height: 38/84 cm x Width: 71 cm x Depth: 105 cm
