Image — “Le Stelle” Armchair, 1974 — The Museum of Modern Art — **Image —** “Le Stelle” Armchair, 1974 — The Museum of Modern Art

After acquiring the Le Stelle Armchairs by Mario Bellini, B&B Italia, we came across MOMA’s Catalogue for their 1987 exhibition on Bellini. The exhibition outlined his iconic designs throughout his career as an architect and designer. Here is an excerpt on his rational behind the Le Stelle armchair —

With the “Stelle” Armchair, Bellini wanted to create a lightweight, padded furnishing consisting of mass-produced parts that the factory could easily store and assemble without compromising the chair’s comfort. Unlike traditional seating, in which the structural elements are joined to form a solid frame, this piece is held together by a balance of tension. The foldable frame is composed of three U-shaped tubular steel units secured with hinges. Bellini compared the structure to the “light frame of a pair of eyeglasses”. Polyurethane-foam padding is anchored to the back and armrests, and the Dacron-filled cushions are attached to the upholstery. The chair is “dressed” and held together with a quilted cover equipped with zippers.

Links worth a read —

Mario Bellini, designer Exhibition Catalogue — Cara McCarty, The Museum of Modern Art

MOMA Exhibition Archive & Installation Views

Other Bellini Highlights —