699 Superleggera Chair
699 Superleggera chair by Gio Ponti for Cassina.
The design of the Superleggera (the Italian term for super-lightweight) chair was inspired by the traditional vernacular chairs produced in the Ligurian town of Chiavari. Ponti took this traditional form and, working in close collaboration with Cassina's master craftsmen, honed it to its bare essentials. His first iteration for Cassina, the Leggera chair of 1951, was subsequently subjected to a further process of distillation, producing the Superleggera in 1957.
Using light and stable ash wood, Ponti pared back the cylindrical elements of the frame to a triangular section with edges measuring 1.8cms. He also devised an ingenious system whereby the struts forming the chair frame slot together. The resulting structure has great stability while weighing a mere 1.7kg. As Ponti said, "the more minimal the shape, the more expressive it becomes."
In order to test the design, Ponti submitted it to one final challenge, throwing it from the fourth storey of an apartment building into the street. The chair bounced and did not break and Ponti considered himself satisfied.
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Description
699 Superleggera chair by Gio Ponti for Cassina.
The design of the Superleggera (the Italian term for super-lightweight) chair was inspired by the traditional vernacular chairs produced in the Ligurian town of Chiavari. Ponti took this traditional form and, working in close collaboration with Cassina's master craftsmen, honed it to its bare essentials. His first iteration for Cassina, the Leggera chair of 1951, was subsequently subjected to a further process of distillation, producing the Superleggera in 1957.
Using light and stable ash wood, Ponti pared back the cylindrical elements of the frame to a triangular section with edges measuring 1.8cms. He also devised an ingenious system whereby the struts forming the chair frame slot together. The resulting structure has great stability while weighing a mere 1.7kg. As Ponti said, "the more minimal the shape, the more expressive it becomes."
In order to test the design, Ponti submitted it to one final challenge, throwing it from the fourth storey of an apartment building into the street. The chair bounced and did not break and Ponti considered himself satisfied.
Dimensions
41w x 45d x 46/83cmh
Materials
Ashwood frame and cane seat. Available with frame in natural finish or lacquered in black or white.
Also available with an upholstered seat. Please enquire for details.
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