Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno

OSVALDO BORSANI (Varedo 1911–Milan 1985) for Tecno,
P40 Armchair. 1st Edition, c. 1953.
Black-lacquered metal frame upholstered in orange fabric.
In good condition, with wear consistent with its age and use, as well as some previous restorations. It has an overall patina consistent with its age and slight visible signs of wear on the upholstery. Stable structure.
Measurements: 95 x 67 x 95/100 cm.
Considered one of the great icons of 20th-century Italian design, the P40 armchair is one of Osvaldo Borsani’s masterpieces and one of the most advanced examples of research into ergonomics and transformable furniture developed during the postwar period. Designed in 1955 for Tecno—the firm founded by Borsani himself alongside his brother Fulgenzio—the model revolutionized the traditional concept of the armchair by combining a refined modern aesthetic with an innovative mechanical adjustment system.
The P40 features a complex articulated structure that allows it to assume more than four hundred different positions, adapting precisely to the user’s needs. The backrest can recline at multiple angles, the headrest is height-adjustable, the characteristic flexible rubber armrests can be folded down, and the telescoping metal footrest extends from the leg rest, transforming the armchair into a true chaise longue. The sophistication of its mechanisms, discreetly integrated into the structure, represents one of the greatest achievements of engineering applied to furniture design.
Trained from a very young age in his family’s furniture business, Osvaldo Borsani participated in the 5th Milan Triennial in 1933 with the “Casa Mínima” project, which was awarded the silver medal. After graduating from the Polytechnic University of Milan, he met and collaborated with prominent artists such as Lucio Fontana, Agenore Fabbri, Aligi Sassu, Roberto Crippa, Fausto Melotti, and Arnaldo Pomodoro. In 1953, together with his brother Fulgencio, he founded Tecno, a venture to which he would devote his entire life. His first industrial design works were the P40 reclining armchair (1953) and the D70 sofa with a reversible seat. In 1968, he created the Graphis office system (together with Eugenio Gerli, which was distributed worldwide in a million copies), thanks to which Tecno became an internationally renowned manufacturer of designer office products.
In the late 1960s, Osvaldo Borsani founded the Tecno Design Center with Marco Fantoni and Valeria Borsani.