The Height of Design: Sabrina Panizza, Pl Studio
As part of our recurring series, we asked the co-founder and director of Pl Studio, Sabrina Panizza, which singular item she feels embodies the very best of design.
The pick
699 Superleggera chair by Giò Ponti for Cassina
The why
The 699 Superleggera (‘Superlight’) chair, designed in 1955 by Italian designer Giò Ponti, is one of my favourite masterpieces of Italian design and an item that represents a piece of history. It embodies the perfect combination of tradition and innovation, and is an emblem of Italian design culture in the post-war period. “A chair – simple as that, with no need for adjectives,” loved to say the designer. Indeed, the Superleggera was, and still is, a simple chair with no frills, characterized by pure lines and strong angles.
The Superleggera was inspired by the traditional vernacular chairs, produced in the Ligurian town of Chiavari. Ponti took this classic form and, working closely with Cassina’s master craftsmen, honed it to its essentials. The resulting structure has great stability while weighing a mere 1.7kg, which was almost unbelievable at that time – a true representation of the ‘height of design’.
The inspiration
Cultural heritage and traditional knowledge are incredibly important, however they can’t survive without innovation and a strong desire to evolve and continue finding cutting-edge solutions and pioneering ideas. It’s also no secret that at Pl Studio we are huge fans of the dramatic and powerful combination of black and white, therefore I must mention a particularly intriguing model of Superleggera chair designed by Ponti – that was never serially produced – which has been a great source of inspiration.
It has a stunning bicolour black and white lacquered frame and padded white seat. “In the darkness,” said Ponti, “it will be even lighter because it will be supported by just two legs”. A stunning example of striking simplicity and beauty, with a twist that can’t go unnoticed.
The impact
When Giò Ponti designed the Superleggera chair, he wanted to create a furniture item for everyone, easily affordable for a nation facing an economic crisis. In order to test the design, Ponti submitted it to one final challenge, throwing it from the fourth storey of an apartment building. The chair bounced, did not break and Ponti considered himself satisfied. He taught people that ‘light’ can be ‘strong’.
The relationship
The first time I saw the Superleggera chair in the flesh was many years ago when I was working at Nilufar gallery in Milan, Italy. I immediately loved its purity: such a simple yet highly sophisticated piece of furniture. The straight lines and angles make it, to me, a fierce chair and the black and white version adds a slightly humorous dimension, taking the piece to a different level, playing with innovation, but also with just the right dose of wit and illusion.
