At some point, Italy became synonymous with good taste and high design. The country took a leading position on the world market back in the 60s, when the opening of regional factories, the development of handicrafts and the flourishing of art in the post-war period did their job - led to an economic boom. At that time, they loved and bought everything Italian. Clothes? Italy. Furniture? Italy. Coffee and coffee machines? Scooters? Typewriters? Italy. Interiors, fashion shows, cinema and auto racing. The whole world was enveloped by the Italian aroma, adapted to Italian patterns. And at the center of creative disciplines was architecture. Because there were no specially trained people to create all this beauty. Architects, whose knowledge is fundamental, universal and presupposes a complex approach, created everything. Who was engaged in urban planning? Architects. Designing parks? Architects. Furnishing hotels, designing cars and machinery, designing air salons and high-speed trains? Architects. Development of corporate style, logos, advertising posters? Editorial offices of cult professional magazines? Architects. Architects. Architects.
The Flexform factory was founded by the Halimberta brothers in 1959 in the city of Meda, located north of Milan
Flexform corporate showroom in Meda, Italy
And now, using these two "famous", we will try to describe the secret working formula of famous furniture brands: Italy + architects = high design. Qualitative and intuitive. Global and impervious to the flow of time. This simple scheme can be used to describe the history of the Italian company Flexform.
From Milan to Sydney
The Flexform factory was founded in 1959 in the city of Meda, located north of Milan. Own production was opened by the Galimbert brothers - Pietro, Romeo and Agostino. They decided to continue the work of their ancestors, artisans who worked with wood since the beginning of the XNUMXth century.
At first, the company became well-known for classic pieces of furniture, and over the years it has acquired a unique style, which the owners themselves have dubbed "understated appeal." The cultural climate of the time contributed to the formation of values. Flexform picked up the dolce vita trend and set a goal to make people's living conditions easier by creating comfortable and high-quality furniture. The factory's products become part of the interiors of elegant mansions in Milan, villas near Lake Como, and even the lobby of the La Scala theater.
Flexform showroom in Mede: Jiff and Piuma coffee table, Happy-Hour armchairs, Soft Dream and Evergreen sofas. Photo: Leo Torri
"Our sofas are like a blue blazer in the world of furniture," says the owner of the Flexform company Giuliano Galimberti, "this is something that will be relevant and fashionable at all times."
The history of the Galimberta family is still being written: the children and grandchildren of the masters who came in the 60s work in the company's production workshops
The growth and development of the factory was helped by brilliant architectural minds. They worked not only on the design of new objects, but also on the development of identity and advertising material. Flexform gathered around itself the color of the elite, and by the 70s of the 89th century it reached a new level, becoming one of the best examples of the Made in Italy concept. Today, representative offices of the factory work in 60 countries of the world. Flexform products can be found in New York, Milan, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney... The history of the Halimberta family is still being written: in the company's production workshops, the children and grandchildren of the masters who came in the XNUMXs work.
The company's showroom in Mede: Giano coffee table, Leda armchairs. Photo: Leo Torri
"What do you pay attention to in furniture design? - asks the owner of the Flexform factory, Giuliano Galimberti, and he himself answers - good furniture design is like a language, which is designed to form communication between people; a language understandable to any culture and nation. It is not a style or an image that is influenced by trends. This is practically an emotional connection. And our ability to tell stories helps expand the boundaries of communication."
"Good furniture design is like a language that is designed to form communication between people," says Giuliano Galimberti
The growth and development of the factory was helped by brilliant architectural minds. They worked not only on the design of new objects, but also on the development of identity and advertising material
By the way, about the language. Flexform's biography includes many names that formed a new architectural language of the XNUMXth century. These were rationalists, audacious inventors, bold visionaries, romantics and futurists who looked tens of years ahead and in many ways predicted the lives of future generations. They created things by which we learn the history of design today. Not limiting themselves to just work in their professional activities, they drew inspiration from music, painting and nature itself, and some specialists came to the world of design from related disciplines. This synergy of various elements and destinies is felt even in the latest collections of the factory. The passion and obsession with their craft, with which the designers and craftsmen of the company created, made Flexform items "objects of desire" (as Giuliano calls them). They are bought all over the world and exhibited in the most famous museums.
Objects and people
At the first stage of development, Flexform attracted local architects and designers, each of whom brought their own special quality to the company's philosophy. Mario Asnago and Claudio Wender gave a new but eternal rationalism, Rodolfo Bonnetto — precision, Joe Colombo — mobility, Chin Boera — inner freedom, Antonio Citterio — uncomplicated simplicity, Paolo Nava — idealism...
Rodolfo Bonetto
Rodolfo Bonetto
A talented self-taught designer, the owner of eight "Golden compasses", the author of a whole palette of various items from ski boots to surgical lasers, who came to the field of design from the world of music. As a professional drummer in a jazz band, he possessed absolute technical precision and a sense of rhythm, which he later transferred to the objects he created.
Armchair Boomerang, created in 1968 for Flexform
In 1968, Bonnetto created the Boomerang armchair for Flexform, named after the shape of the product. It is currently out of production, but it is part of the permanent exhibition of the New York MoMA museum.
Joe Colombo
Joe Colombo
Known for his foresight, the author of the iconic Total Furnishing project and the famous Smoke glass, as early as the 50s, he bet on rationalism and ergonomics — properties without which modern design is impossible. Colombo used modules everywhere, because transforming space was his favorite technique.
Tube chair, consisting of four hollow interchangeable cylinders, designed for Flexform
His Tube chair, consisting of four hollow interchangeable cylinders, designed for Flexform, revolutionized the furniture industry - it was the only chair of its kind that could be bought and taken straight off the shelf.
The ranks of the Boers
The ranks of the Boers
Growing up in a liberal anti-fascist family, she cultivated independence and freedom from childhood. In her thirst for experiments, she created memorable bold objects. Boeri was the first to put furniture on rollers, came up with a monolithic ghost chair made of bent glass for Fiam, a Serpentone sofa sold by the meter, created the world's first piece of furniture made of solid polyurethane without an internal frame — the Bobo lounge chair for Arflex...
Maxi chair designed in 1970 for Flexform
In 1970, Chyna Boera designed the Maxi chair for Flexform, combining ergonomics and poetic images: "typewriter", "chest", "grand piano".
Asnago, Wender and their rationalism
Mario Asnago and Claudio Wender became friends at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna. They were born in northern Italy: Wender - in Milan, Asnago - in Barlassin, both were ardent admirers of painting. In addition to being a talented pianist, Wender showed his artistic abilities at a very young age, and by that time he was studying at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts. As for Mario Asnago, he received an art education at the Academy of Fine Arts, resumed his studies after serving at the front during the First World War. Fine art was his main passion and accompanied the architect throughout his life. He left a lot of watercolors, graphic works made with colored pencils and charcoal, painting canvases. These are still lifes, portraits of his loved ones, abstract geometric compositions. The commonality of views of Vender and Asnago was expressed in the creative union Studio Asnago-Vender architetti, which had a huge impact on Italian neo-rationalism. Architects participated in the design of the war monument in Como, among their first projects were the Palazzo de Via Manin (1933), an apartment building on Via Euripides (1934), buildings on Via Alberto Albricci (1939).
The Moka chair, designed in 1939 by architects Mario Asnago and Claudio Wender, has been part of the Flexform collection since 1985.
Their furniture design is the embodiment of minimalist aesthetics. Clean lines and simple forms, where the contrast is achieved by the variety of textures and materials. The authors, creating products, found a relationship between elements and voids, taking into account the latter as part of a material object. It reminds of the rhythm of color and "air" of Piet Mondrian, known at that time for his yellow-blue-red-white compositions.
When we look at the Moka table for Flexform, which has been part of the collection since 1985, we feel pure rationalism and kinship with the Wender-Asnago chair of the same name, designed in 1939. The elegant tubular metal base of the table can be made in three variations of the finish: black, white or silver color. A thin tabletop plate, available in wood or glass, looks weightless. Moka is an absolutely graphic composition that came to life from pencil sketches and straight convincing lines.
Antonio Citterio and his simplicity
For 40 years, Antonio Citterio has been a regular contributor to Flexform. He oversees work on all collections and today holds the post of art director of the company.
The Groundpice sofa, created in 2001 by designer Antonio Citterio, became a revolutionary item in the upholstered furniture segment
Antonio designed his first object in his father's carpentry shop. Since then, Citterio has changed the scope and volume of work, but not the approaches. Make things simple, not banal - this is the rule of the follower of the school of rationalism and admirer of Tadao Ando, Charles and Ray Imzov. This versatile architect, who designs everything from furniture handles to industrial objects, creates "quiet and unobtrusive" objects for the most famous factories and fashion houses. They choose Citterio because they know: behind the external simplicity, ergonomics are thought out to the smallest detail and very high quality. He teaches these principles to students, and he tries to convey these truths by participating in conferences and international competitions. He brings his experience to the Flexform philosophy, giving factory items a special property. Thanks to Citterio's creative method, Flexform became revolutionary precisely in the production of upholstered furniture. According to his projects, the legendary Groundpiece sofa, Campiello series, Tessa chair, Asolo and Ontario sofas, Adda and Este beds were created.
Paolo Nava and his idealism
Paolo Nava studied architecture in Milan, industrial design in Florence, Great Britain. With the opening of his own design studio in 1982, he fruitfully works on the creation of furniture for such famous brands as B&B Italia, Artvis, Snaidero, Boffi. Paolo himself refuses to recognize himself as a "famous designer" and a designer in general, calling himself simply a "curious person." The secret of his genius is that he devotes a lot of time not to the external side of things, but to the internal content. Nava emphasizes that any designer can create beautiful objects, but not everyone can create meaningful ones.
"For many years now, I have been inventing not objects, but ideas, a philosophy of things," Palo Nava shares
In his work, he rejects the dominance of commerce, which leads to conveyor multiplication, and gives importance to research, tries to understand the purposes of projected objects. This designer has devoted many years to the creation of kitchens. "The importance of the kitchen," says Nava, "is that it emphasizes the inner wealth of the person who cooks on it." Paolo himself also likes to cook, probably because it is a creative process and a kind of contact with living materials, which he attaches great importance to. In his country house in the suburbs of Milan there are living trees, living fire and living water. In a small house in Sardinia, he likes to meet sunrises and see sunsets, sitting on stones by the sea.
The Magister sofa was designed in 1982 by designers Paolo Navoi and Antonio Citterio
"For many years now, I have been inventing not objects, but ideas, a philosophy of things," Palo Nava shares in one of his interviews. In this quality, they are similar to the aforementioned Antonio Citterio. Their Citterio-Nava studio became the birthplace of cult design products.
Magister created by magisters
1982 was a turning point in the career of Citterio and Nava. After a long fruitful cooperation, each of them will go "solo". This year, they designed the Magister sofa for Flexform, which became an integral part of the factory's collection. "The master's degree refers to the period in my career when I studied the experience of early Italian rationalism, especially pre-rationalist architecture in the period between the two world wars," explains Antonio Citterio.
Magister can be upholstered in fabric or leather. Its important feature is that the sofa turns into a bed with the help of a mechanism in the back
This legendary sofa is the main player in the home or in public places, such as waiting rooms, lobbies or corporate offices. It is restrained, minimalist, but at the same time saturated with handmade details. Magister can be upholstered in fabric or leather. And one more important feature - with the help of a mechanism, the backrest can easily be turned into a bed.
Water, wind and fire together with Flexform
Based on many years of work experience, basic approaches and principles that the factory formed in collaboration with famous architects and designers, Flexform launches a line of objects for the street.
A house is not only a space bounded by walls. Terraces, verandas, balconies, all kinds of patios, covered galleries, gardens and courtyards are also part of everyday life. Imagining ourselves as typical Italians with their traditional slow living and dolce far niente, the best shots from the cinema and pictures of our own vivid memories from travels come to mind. Classic "long" family dinners on the lawn in a country house, noisy conversations over a glass of wine on the terrace with a view of the Tuscan landscape, the habit of yelling at each other between balconies located opposite each other across a narrow street in the towns of Sardinia or Sicily - the private space of the house closely interacts with the public , or "third places", the study of which architects and urbanists devote so much time. The space of the house smoothly flows into the street.
The Flexform Outdoor collection includes seating systems, sofas, armchairs, tables, chairs and many accessories
Understanding this feature, the Flexform factory strives to create a complete image of the house, which includes the interior and exterior. The Outdoor collection was conceived in order to combine items for the home and the open air format without losing the integrity of the overall design concept. Furniture designed for decorating outdoor spaces is as elegant, functional, and comfortable as "pets", but it has one distinctive and very important feature - it is even more durable and resistant to atmospheric influences. The collection includes seating systems, sofas, armchairs, tables, chairs and many accessories.
Atlante, or holder of the sky
The Atlante 2020 line of street items does not for nothing hint at a mythological hero with its name - iconic, archetypal, powerful and strong, but most importantly - holding the sky. Placing this outdoor furniture in an open space, the Flexform company is confident that the items will withstand all the elements sent by the gods: wind, sun, and rain. Therefore, the client may not worry that after a few parties by the pool or pleasant barbecues, the garden furniture will have to be replaced. No, with proper care and regular use of protective water-repellent products recommended by the company, it will last a long time. There is also good news for architects. The Atlante family includes modular sofas and deckchairs of various sizes and finishes, which gives the freedom to design those very "third places" and open living spaces.
The garden lounge chair Atlante, designed by Antonio Citterio, embodies the main principle of the designer — simplicity and rationality
The Atlante garden lounger, designed by Antonio Citterio, embodies the principle of rationality. In appearance, this is a very simple object in terms of its shape, geometry, and silhouette. However, the devil is in the details. Firstly, ergonomics. A special mechanism allows you to adjust the angle of the backrest for a more comfortable rest, and in the version with rear aluminum wheels, the product becomes the most convenient to use. The soft mattress is filled with blown polyester fiber. Secondly, quality, thought out to the smallest detail. Wear-resistant fabric is used for upholstery. Removable covers are provided for the pillows. Among other things, the product comes with a cape made of waterproof material. The elastic band at the base of the furniture is made of water-repellent fabric. Thirdly, aesthetics. An interesting visual effect is achieved by a combination of complex shades of epoxy paint, which covers the metal base, and color variants of elastic tape: white, sand, gray and anthracite.
The garden lounge chair Atlante, designed by Antonio Citterio, embodies the main principle of the designer — simplicity and rationality
Flexform constructs unique furniture, similar to how Apple creates smart technology, honing in each subsequent model the perfection of the mold and the ability to feel the user. In the factory's new collections, we can see jewelry-like, barely perceptible changes that can be noticed only by the most subtle connoisseurs of design, true gourmets. Even more expensive fabrics, even more comfortable fit, even more refined silhouette, even stronger frame. With small but confident steps, this Italian brand gradually brings the product closer to its ideal appearance, creating a different quality of life for its client, realizing the dream of a cozy, proper space. And this idea is reflected in the company slogan: Home at last perfectly. Flexform is not only the history of unique objects. These are first of all the stories of masters whose great-grandfathers were engaged in woodworking. Stories of architects and designers who invest the best qualities in their works. And also the stories of clients who found a home thanks to the Flexform company.
