Paolo Deganello

PAOLO DEGANELLO (Este, Padua, 1940) for Cassina, Italy.
AEO, two-seater version, 1973
Leather, steel, and molded plastic.
The cushions have been replaced. The upholstery is in good condition, with slight signs of wear; the frame shows wear consistent with its age.
Measurements: 75 × 190 × 107 cm.

A unique two-seater version of the AEO model, designed by Paolo Deganello in 1973 for Cassina. The piece consists of two independent seats joined by a longitudinal frame, featuring high backrests made of suspended white leather and large cushions in a teal shade. The truncated pyramid-shaped bases and the deliberately eclectic combination of materials give it a presence that is at once domestic, technological, and sculptural.

Far from adopting a rigid shape, the backrests slope gently between their raised ends, creating folds reminiscent of a stretched piece of fabric or a sail. This flexibility contrasts with the firmness of the bases and the frame. The result is a seat that appears light despite its generous dimensions, conceived as an open structure.

The AEO model emerged as an unconventional interpretation of the modern armchair and was the last product developed by Deganello as part of the Archizoom experiment. Its modular construction and experimentation with industrial materials reflected a vision of adaptable and customizable furniture.

In this double version, the two seats can be understood as individual spaces brought together within a single structure: close, yet clearly distinct. This coexistence of the collective and the personal is one of the most evocative aspects of a piece that transforms the act of sitting into a visual and spatial experience.

Paolo Deganello was an architect, designer, and founding member of Archizoom Associati, one of the key collectives of Italian radical design. His work challenged the functional and aesthetic conventions of furniture through provocative forms, experimental materials, and objects conceived as tools for reflecting on contemporary life. Works by him and the Archizoom collective are represented in institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.