GASTONE RINALDI for RIMA

GASTONE RINALDI (Padua, Italy, 1920–2006). For RIMA, Italy.
Set of six “Margot” chairs, 1968.
Space Age design.
Chrome-plated steel frame with brown suede upholstery.
Condition: Signs of use and wear consistent with its age.
Measurements: 83 x 48 x 50 cm each.

Conceived in 1968, the Margot chair is an expressive example of Italian Space Age design, in which experimentation with industrial materials was put to use in the service of a dynamic, lightweight, and distinctly futuristic aesthetic. The model is characterized by a continuous structure of chrome-plated steel rods that defines both the base and the seat support, transforming a functional element into a structure with a strong sculptural presence. The attribution of the Margot model to Rinaldi and its production by RIMA in 1968 are documented in various sources specializing in historical design.

The rods emanate from a wide circular base and gradually converge to form a slender central shaft, from which they fan out again beneath the seat and backrest. This interplay of contraction and expansion lends visual lightness to the structure and creates the sensation that the seat surface is suspended in space. The chair’s curved, enveloping profile is softened by the brown upholstery, secured with metal buttons.
The aerodynamic silhouette, the flared base, and the continuity of its lines place the model within the Space Age design language developed during the 1960s and 1970s, a period marked by enthusiasm for technology, the space race, and new ways of living.

Gastone Rinaldi was one of the leading figures in postwar Italian design. He spent much of his career at RIMA, a metal furniture company founded by his father, Mario Rinaldi, in Padua in 1916. His research focused particularly on the structural and expressive possibilities of steel as applied to seating design. In 1954, he received the Compasso d’Oro for the DU30 chair, also produced by RIMA, an accolade that cemented his position in Italian industrial design.