Mario Bellini, Le Bambole sofa for B&B Italia

MARIO BELLINI (Milan, 1935) for B&B Italia.
Le Bambole, two-seater sofa.
Original light canvas upholstery.
Small signs of wear and patina.
Produced by B&B Italian, with label.
Measurements: 72 x 165 x 82 cm; 38 cm (seat height).

The Bambole armchair, with its large, soft cushions, is an icon of 1970s Italian design and winner of the Compasso d’Oro in 1979. It was a revolutionary design, featuring a series of large upholstered cushions arranged together in an almost random manner, reflecting the ongoing transformations in lifestyle at the beginning of that decade. The design’s innovation led photographer Oliviero Toscani to photograph Donna Jordan (a model he met at Warhol’s Factory) lying in it with her breasts exposed. These images were initially censored but later circulated around the world in magazines and design manuals.

Trained as an architect at the Polytechnic University of Milan, Mario Bellini founded his studio in 1987, and his brand was awarded the Gold Medal of the Chartered Society of Designers in the United Kingdom. In addition, he has received the Compasso d’Oro eight times, and 25 of his works are part of the permanent design exhibition at MoMA in New York. His profession extends beyond architecture and urban planning, as his passion for interior design has led him to become a furniture designer, collaborating with internationally renowned brands such as Cassina, Kartell, Rosenthal, Venini, Vitra, Driade, and Natuzzi. Bellini’s impact and influence have led him to be involved in notable projects such as The Museum of Islamic Arts at the Louvre in 2012 and the expansion of the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne in 2003.