Antonio Citterio

ANTONIO CITTERIO (Meda, Italy, 1950) for Flexform, Italy.
“Scissor” armchair, 1980s.
Chrome-plated steel frame and seat suspended by textile webbing.
Upholstery recently renewed, with the straps replaced.
In very good condition, with slight signs of wear consistent with its age.
Measurements: 79 × 58 × 48 cm.

The Scissor model is part of the collaboration Antonio Citterio began with Flexform in the 1970s, a partnership that played a decisive role in the renewal of the Italian firm’s catalog. The armchair combines the modern tradition of scissor-leg structures with a lighter, more informal conception of the seat, characteristic of late 20th-century Italian design. Flexform recognizes in Citterio’s work the influence of rationalism, the Bauhaus, and the Modernist movement’s explorations of metal furniture.

Its appeal lies particularly in the reduction of the seat to two essential components: a polished frame with great graphic precision, and a flexible fabric surface that conforms to the body. This contrast between the solidity of the steel and the lightness of the straps gives the armchair a distinctly sculptural presence, without sacrificing comfort. The recent update to the upholstery restores its functionality while preserving the visual character typical of the geometric textiles of the 1970s and 1980s.

Antonio Citterio is one of the leading figures in contemporary Italian design. An architect by training from the Polytechnic University of Milan, he has collaborated with Flexform since the 1970s and has worked for firms such as B&B Italia, Vitra, and Kartell. His designs are featured in the collection of the MoMA in New York.