Pair of Italian Space Age armchairs, ca. 1978–1982

Pair of Italian Space Age armchairs, ca. 1978–1982.
Lacquered fiberglass/resin; fabric upholstery.
In good overall condition, with normal wear and tear consistent with their age. Original upholstery preserved on both pieces.
Measurements: 75 cm high x 45 cm seat diameter (approx.).

Pair of Italian-designed Space Age-style armchairs, crafted from a single piece of molded fiberglass/resin and lacquered in off-white. Enveloping silhouette with a high, curved backrest, separate circular padded seat, and a stepped tulip-style pedestal base. Original upholstery in navy blue fabric with a repeating geometric dot pattern. Anonymous design, characteristic of Italian fiberglass furniture production in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a period when numerous workshops and small manufacturers in northern Italy produced pieces of this type influenced by the Space Age formal language, in the vein of designers such as Carlo Bartoli or Joe Colombo, although in this case there is no recorded attribution or manufacturer’s mark.

“Space Age” is the name given to the period when the space race began, starting in 1957 with the launch of Sputnik. This craze for conquering space also spread to design, and during the 1960s and 1970s, a style of interior design emerged based on an idyllic vision of the future and everything related to spaceships, new technologies, and innovative materials.