Mario Bellini, for C&B

MARIO BELLINI (Milan, 1935) for C&B Italia.
Amanta" armchair, 1966.
Velvet upholstery.
Lacquered plastic structure.
Measurements: 70 x 84 x 80 cm.

The Amanta armchair, designed by Mario Bellini in 1966 for C&B (Cassina & Busnelli), is an emblematic piece of Italian design of the 1960s. It is characterized by its outer structure of molded plastic material lacquered in white, which forms an "L" profile (a continuous base and backrest enveloping the cushion), reflecting the period's interest in new industrial materials and pure forms.

The seat and backrest are composed of plush, enveloping cushions upholstered in velvet with capitonné, providing a sense of luxury and tactile comfort in contrast to the rigidity and sheen of the plastic shell. The result is a balance of technology and craftsmanship, geometric coolness and sensory warmth, a hallmark of Bellini's design.

Trained as an architect at the Polytechnic University of Milan, Mario Bellini founded his studio in 1987, winning with his brand the Gold Medal of the Chartered Society of Designers in the United Kingdom. He has also received the Compasso d'Oro 8 times and 25 of his works are in the permanent design exhibition at MoMA in New York. His profession goes beyond architecture and urban planning, as his passion for decoration has led him to become a furniture designer collaborating with internationally recognized brands such as Cassina, Kartell, Rosenthal, Venini, Vitra, Driade or Natuzzi. The impact and influence of Bellini, has led him to be present in major projects such as The Museum of Islamic Arts at the Louvre Museum in 2012, or in the extension of the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne in 2003.