WESTSIDE ARMCHAIRS / ETTORE SOTTSASS
Magnificent pair of Westside Armchairs by Ettore Sottsass for Knoll, 1983, in perfect original condition.
The 'Westside' armchair by Ettore Sottsass for Knoll is an iconic design created by Ettore Sottsass in 1983. This armchair has its original upholstery. In 1983, two years after Memphis was founded, Sottsass separated from his collective to partner with Knoll Studio, creating the Eastside and Westside collections. Inspired by his lifelong love of Viennese Biedermeier chairs, characterized by plush seats with clean lines and minimal ornamentation, the collection consisted of geometric sofas and chaise longues in brightly colored upholstery.
Ettore Sottsass is considered one of the most important designers of the 20th century . He is internationally recognized as having renewed the approach to design and architecture, through a dimension that is both spiritual and sensory in the definition of domestic spaces, giving great importance to color and light. A consultant for Poltronova from 1957 and then for Olivetti in 1958, Sottsass designed furniture, began research on ceramics, color and materials, as well as on figurative languages. Prefiguring the experiments of radical architecture, Sottsass established himself as a tutelary figure for young protest groups such as Superstudio or Archizoom, who would seek during the 1960s and 1970s a refoundation of architecture outside the dogmas of functionalist culture. Between 1966 and 1974, Sottsass stopped architecture as such to devote himself to writing and drawing and took an active part in theoretical debates. He made photographs, installations, conceptual projects, which questioned the language of architecture; he led reflections on the environment, wrote notes on anthropology, questioning, according to Barbara Radice, the very meaning of "building". Sottsass co-edited the first issue of the underground magazine of the Italian counterculture: Pianeta fresco , in 1968.
After studying in Turin in 1939 and working for a while with his father, Ettore Sottsass Jr. established his agency in Milan in 1947. Architect, designer, artist, consultant for various design firms, publisher and editor of magazines (including Casabella in the 1970s), Sottsass has continued to develop his practice at the crossroads of disciplines. Winner of numerous awards (he received the Italian Compasso d'Oro prize four times), participant in numerous international exhibitions (including Italy: The New Domestic Landscape at MoMA in New York in 1972), Sottsass is now present in the collections of the greatest museums. He co-founded the groups Global Tools (1973), Alchimia (1976), Memphis (1981) and founded Studio Sottsass Associati in 1982.
Beautiful pair of Westside Armchairs by Ettore Sottsass for Knoll, 1983, in perfect original condition.
The 'Westside' armchair by Ettore Sottsass for Knoll is an iconic design created by Ettore Sottsass in 1983. This chair has its original upholstery. In 1983, two years after the founding of Memphis, Sottsass broke away from his collective to partner with the Knoll studio, creating the Eastside and Westside collections. Inspired by his lifelong love of Viennese Biedermeier chairs, characterized by plush seating with clean lines and minimal embellishments, the collection consisted of geometric sofas and lounge chairs in brightly colored upholstery.
Ettore Sottsass is considered one of the most important designers of the 20th century. He is internationally recognized as having renewed the approach to design and architecture, through a dimension that is both spiritual and sensory in the definition of domestic spaces, giving great importance to color and light. Consulting for Poltronova from 1957 and then for Olivetti in 1958, Sottsass designed furniture, began research on ceramics, on color and materials, and on figurative languages. Prefiguring the experiments of radical architecture, Sottsass became a tutelary figure for young protest groups such as Superstudio and Archizoom, which sought in the 1960s and 1970s to refound architecture outside the dogmas of functionalist culture. Between 1966 and 1974, Sottsass gave up architecture as such to devote himself to writing and drawing and took an active part in theoretical debates. He produced photographs, installations, and conceptual projects that questioned the language of architecture; he reflected on the environment and wrote notes on anthropology, questioning, according to Barbara Radice, the very meaning of "building. Sottsass co-edited the first issue of the underground magazine of the Italian counter-culture: Pianeta Fresco, in 1968.
After studying in Turin in 1939 and working with his father for some time, Ettore Sottsass Jr. established his agency in Milan in 1947. Architect, designer, artist, consultant for various design firms, publisher and editor of magazines (including Casabella in the 1970s ), Sottsass has continued to develop his practice at the crossroads of disciplines. Winner of numerous awards (he received the Italian Golden Compass award four times), participant in numerous international exhibitions (including Italy: The New Domestic Landscape at the MoMA in New York in 1972), Sottsass is today present in the collections of the greatest museums . He co-founded the groups Global Tools (1973), Alchimia (1976), Memphis (1981) and in 1982 founded the Studio Sottsass Associati.
Designer: Ettore Sottsass
Publisher: Knoll
Dimensions: 96 cm x 39 cm x 74 cm