Preferences
Gio Ponti by Cassina
3 resultsCollection: Gio Ponti
Brand: Cassina
Specifications:
A highlight of Cassina’s catalogue since 1957, the Superleggera represents the perfect outcome between the creative imagination of the architect Gio Ponti, and Cassina’s manufacturing excellence, an undisputed icon that is both of- the-moment and pays tribute to traditional artisanal skills. Superleggera demonstrates the constructive prowess of the MedaMade craftsmen: the challenge they faced, of making an extra-light chair, was overcome with the Superleggera’s legs having a cross-section of just eighteen millimetres, the whole weighing a mere 1,700 grams! While the frame exploits the inherent lightness and flexibility of ashwood, the seat surround is in beech, which is more close-grained and stronger. The wood parts are created by machine, and hand-finished, glue being applied with a brush, the excess being wiped off, and the seat being hand-woven. Thus do crafts expertise and industrial innovation come together in what we could call a “prime object”, informed by the chair-making traditions of Chiavari, in Liguria, northern Italy. The Superleggera is available both in the classic version or with coloured legs, as well as with a padded seat.
Collection: Gio Ponti
Brand: Cassina
Specifications:
An icon of design, it is now available in the classic version as well as with armrests. Its clean, sophisticated yet versatile lines make it an excellent solution to a wide range of decor needs. The quintessential wood chair, Leggera marks one of the key points of the design and production relationship which began in the 1950s between Gio Ponti, Cesare Cassina, and the company’s artisans. The experience, expertise and skills of the Cassina joinery masters were put to the test in addressing the challenge of progressively lightening the chair frame – to craft the unique slimline Superleggera chair – concentrating on its essential lines while maintaining its strength and stability. The many combinations and color contrasts between the ash wood frame, the seat covering and the padded backrest, made of a separate cushion with removable upholstery, keep the Leggera contemporary and a perfect fit in any setting.
Collection: Gio Ponti
Brand: Cassina
Specifications:
The wood chair par excellence – one of the flagship pieces in the partnership between Gio Ponti, Cesare Cassina and the company’s joinery experts – adds a new outdoor version. An icon that has evolved over time while staying true to the original design and principles of lightness and functionality that shaped its archetypal ethos, the Leggera moves outside in a version crafted with a cutting-edge technique, used here for the first time. The wood version challenged the experience and skills of the Cassina joinery to pare the chair’s structure down to its essence. Similarly, the same lightness and purity of Leggera is expressed in a material suited to the outdoors: stainless steel. To accomplish this, Cassina borrowed from a Formula One automotive production process. Crucial in-depth research and development analyses led to the use of hydroforming, a construction technique found in the single-seater, to accurately replicate the original model of the chair, preserving its distinctive aesthetics and emblematic lightness. Unlike the traditional casting techniques, this intricate method expands the thin curved tubular steel from its interior outward to give the structure its shape. In a series of processes, each tube is inserted into a closed mould where, thanks to the pressure exerted by a liquid on the inside, it is pressed and moulded, filling out its shape. The individual components are then carefully welded together. Leggera Outdoor comes in three colours: ivory, mud and green. The seat comes in both the colour mud and in woven cord and, to ensure greater comfort, optional upholstered seat and backrest cushions are available.Thanks to the work carried out by Cassina LAB, the Leggera Outdoor chair can be completely disassembled and all of its components recycled at the end of the product’s life cycle, in a more eco-friendly, respectful approach to the environment.
Architect, designer and artist, Gio Ponti (Milan 1891-1979) graduated in Milan in 1921 and initially associated with Emilio Lancia and Mino Fiocchi from 1927 to 1933. In 1927 he founded the Labyrinth, with Lancia, Buzzi, Marelli, Venini and Chiesa, to offer high-level furnishings and objects. From 1923 to 1930 he was artistic director of Richard Ginori. With the foundation of the Domus magazine in 1928 (which, barring brief interruptions, he would direct until his death), Ponti contributed intensely to the renewal of Italian production in the sector, to which he gave new impetus. He participates as a protagonist and supports the Monza Biennials, then the Milan Triennials, the Compasso d'Oro award and the ADI (Association for Industrial Design). The architect Ponti is responsible for the symbol of modern Milan, the Pirelli skyscraper, designed in 1956 with Fornaroli, Rosselli and Nervi. In 1951 he built the second Palazzo Montecatini (his first office building dates from 1938-39). In 1957 he designed the famous Superleggera for Cassina, crowning a long and fruitful relationship. Alongside his design activity he also added teaching, teaching at the Faculty of Architecture in Milan from 1936 to 1961.