Afra and Tobia Scarpa

AFRA SCARPA (Montebelluna, 1937 - Treviso, 2011) & TOBIA SCARPA (Venice, 1935) for CASSINA.
Armchair "Soriana". 1970s.
Cognac leather. Reupholstered.
Metal frame.
Measurements: 63 x 100 x 86 cm.
The idea that inspired the design of this armchair was revolutionary in its time. Afra and Tobia Scarpa changed the image of upholstered furniture in this 1969 design by studying in depth the new possibilities offered by polyurethane foam forming to create a piece with an informal, soft and enveloping appearance.
Tobia Scarpa's beginnings were as a glass designer in Venini's Murano glass factory, until in 1960 Tobia and Afra decided to open their studio. Among their clients were Gavina, B&B Italia, Cassina and Meritalia.
In 1964, they collaborated with the Benetton clothing company to design the firm's first textile factory. Afra and Tobia Scarpa were in charge of the interiors of the company's offices in Paris, Fribourg and New York.
Afra and Tobia Scarpa have received from the Compasso d'Oro in 1969 to the International Forum Design in 1992. Their furniture has been featured in articles in magazines such as L'ŒIL, and between 2004 to 2007, the couple collaborated on numerous restoration projects for historic buildings such as the Palazzo della Ragione in Verona, Italy. Since 2002, Tobia has been teaching in the Department of Design at the Università Iuav di Venezia in Venice, Italy.
Some of Afra and Tobia Scarpa's designs are found in institutions such as the MOMA, the National Museum of Design in New York, the Philadelphia Art Museum, the Louvre Museum or the Victoria and Albert Museum, among other institutions.