As one of the founding fathers of modern Italian design, prolific architect and industrial designer Ludovico Magistretti (known by his nickname Vico) was guided by his philosophy, “There is no excuse for bad design.” His architectural projects are widely revered, and an ingenious meld of form and function can be found in his stylish and deceptively simple table lamps, sofas, armchairs and other mid-century furnishings.
Born in Milan, Magistretti followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather (both architects) to study architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan. At the outbreak of World War II, he fled to Switzerland, and it was there he met his role model and mentor, renowned humanist architect Ernesto Nathan Rogers. Magistretti was inspired by Rogers’s vision to revive postwar Italy, and they collaborated on several reconstruction projects. Among Magistretti’s first architectural designs is a “poetic” round church, which he created for the QT8, an experimental Milanese neighborhood.
When Magistretti returned to Milan in 1945, he worked at his father’s architectural firm. It wasn’t until the early 1950s that he expanded his talents into design while working with furniture artisans.
In the 1960s, Magistretti began his 30-year working relationship with famed entrepreneur Cesare Cassina of the Cassina furniture manufacturing company. In their design approach, the two men shared a vision of the relationship between modernity and tradition and enjoyed a close bond (Magistretti designed Cassina’s luxurious villa in 1965). However, their friendship was not without contention.
Legend has it that upon seeing the prototype for Magistretti’s Maralunga sofa, Cassina hated it so much that he punched it, breaking the back of the sofa, which crumpled into itself.
“Right, great, it looks perfect to me like that,” an unfazed Magistretti allegedly responded, and the Maralunga’s slumped, adjustable-height backrest was born. Incidentally, the Maralunga sofa won Italy’s Compasso d’Oro award as did his Eclisse lamp for Artemide and his Atollo lamp for Oluce.
Magistretti died in 2006, but his designs live on in galleries, museums and private residences and offices around the world.
Find a range of vintage Vico Magistretti furniture and lighting on 1stDibs.
Mid-Century Modern Two Seater Marenco Sofa by Mario Marenco
By Mario Marenco
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Two Seater Marenco Sofa by Mario Marenco Mario Marenco was born in 1933. He studied architecture in Naples and won research grants for Stockholm and Chicago. In 1...
Leather
Confidential Sofa by Alberto Rosselli for Saporiti, Italy, 1970s
By Alberto Rosselli Saporiti
Located in Brussels, BE
Confidential Sofa by Alberto Rosselli for Saporiti, Italy,1970s - New Beige Upholstery
Fabric
Mid-Century Two Seater Sofa Oriolo by Claudio Salocchi for Sormani Wood
By Claudio Salocchi
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Two Seater Sofa Oriolo by Claudio Salocchi for Sormani Wood and Green Fabric - Italy 1960s Claudio Salocchi (born Milan, 1934–2012) was an Italian industrial and furnitu...
Fabric, Wood
Mid-Century Modern Two-Seater Coronado Sofa by Tobia & Afra Scarpa, Italy, 1960s
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Two-Seater Coronado Sofa by Tobia & Afra Scarpa, Italy, 1960s - New Upholstery
Velvet
Sesann Sofa by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, New Upholstery, Italy, 1970s
By Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Brussels, BE
Sesann Sofa by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina,New Upholstery, Italy, 1970s Gianfranco Frattini (born May 16, 1926, Padua, Italy–died April 6, 2004, Milan, Italy) was an Italian des...
Fabric
Mid-Century Modern Italian Sofa, 1960s - New Upholstery
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Italian Sofa, 1960s - New Upholstery
Fabric
Two-Seat Sofa by Vico MAGISTRETTI for CASSINA 1973
Located in Berlin, Berlin
Two-Seat Sofa by Vico Magistretti. Italy, Cassina, 1973. The three-seat MARALUNGA Sofa, newly upholstered in stone-coloured velvet material. The sofa has been stripped and updated ...
Velvet
Vico Magistretti Maralunga Three - Seater Sofa For Cassina
By Vico Magistretti
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Vico Magistretti Maralunga Three - Seater Sofa For Cassina The encapsulation of design brilliance, business insight and made-in-Italy artisan craftsmanship, this sofa is an international bestseller steeped in timeless beauty and functionality. Its enveloping contours accentuate the comfort of this design sofa, ensured by the chain mechanism (incorporated into the foam cushion) that controls adjustment of the backrest position. The unpretentious innovation of the adjustable headrest and the reassuring appearance and simplicity of the soft padding sum up the singularity of this design by Vico Magistretti. REMOVABLE UPHOLSTERY Maralunga 40...
Fabric
Vico Magistretti "Maralunga" 3-seater re-upholstered sofa For Cassina
By Vico Magistretti, Cassina
Located in The Hague, NL
If it's classic Italian style you're after, look no further! Maralunga 3-seater Sofa, designed 1973 by Vico Magistretti for Cassina. This sofa features folding back rests cushions t...
Fabric, Bouclé
Vico Magistretti Maralunga 40S Sofa for Cassina, Italy
By Cassina, Vico Magistretti
Located in Berlin, DE
The price of the sofa is dependent on the chosen fabric and size. The two-seater is available in 156cm oder 166cm width. The three-seater is available in 228 or 238cm width. In 201...
Leather, Fabric
Vico Magistretti Maralunga Three - Seater Sofa For Cassina
By Vico Magistretti
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Vico Magistretti Maralunga Three - Seater Sofa For Cassina The encapsulation of design brilliance, business insight and made-in-Italy artisan craftsmanship, this sofa is an international bestseller steeped in timeless beauty and functionality. Its enveloping contours accentuate the comfort of this design sofa, ensured by the chain mechanism (incorporated into the foam cushion) that controls adjustment of the backrest position. The unpretentious innovation of the adjustable headrest and the reassuring appearance and simplicity of the soft padding sum up the singularity of this design by Vico Magistretti. REMOVABLE UPHOLSTERY Maralunga 40...
Fabric
675 MARALUNGA Sofa, Vico Magistretti, Cassina, vintage
By Cassina, Vico Magistretti
Located in Neuss, NW
"675 MARALUNGA" Sofa based on the design by Vico Magistretti for Cassina from the early 1970s. Original cover made of high-quality black-grey striped fabric. The backrests of the two...
Fabric
