Franco Albini and Franca Helg, chair for Cassina

FRANCO ALBINI (1905, Robbiate - 1977, Milan) and FRANCA HELG (Milan, 1920 - 1989) for Cassina.
"Tre pezzi" lounge chair. Designed in 1959.
Chrome-plated tubular steel frame, cushions upholstered in black velvet. Marked Cassina, engraved with identification number.
Some signs of wear and patina.
Produced by Cassina.
Measurements: 93 x 80 x 75 cm. 40 cm (seat height).

The chair shows a very characteristic design by Franco Albini and Franca Helg: a light structure in chromed tubular steel supporting upholstered volumes of organic shapes. The seat, backrest and armrests are perceived as independent but harmonized pieces, generating an almost sculptural composition. This contrast between the technical rigidity of the metal and the softness of the upholstery reflects a search for balance between rationality and comfort, typical of mid-20th century modern Italian design.

The collaboration between Albini and Helg was close and fully co-authored from the early 1950s. Albini provided a very clear rationalist and structural basis, while Helg contributed a great sensitivity to materials, detail and execution. Together they developed a language that combined technical precision with formal elegance, applying it to both furniture and architecture, and this chair is a good example of that synthesis between constructive rigor and aesthetic expression.