Widely recognized as superstars of postmodern Italian design, husband-and-wife team Afra and Tobia Scarpa (1937–2011; b. 1935) collaboratively created chairs, sofas and other furniture that work equally well in both traditional and cutting-edge environments.
Afra Bianchin and Tobia Scarpa met as architecture students at the Università Iuav di Venezia. In a class led by architect and furniture designer Franco Albini, they created their first collaborative piece, the Pigreco armchair, later produced with Gavina. After graduating in 1957, Tobia Scarpa worked for Murano glass company Venini & Co. before the couple opened a studio in Afra’s hometown, Montebelluna, in 1960. (Tobia, the son of famed glass artist and architect Carlo Scarpa, was born in Venice.)
Ranging from architecture and interior design to furniture and clothing, the Scarpas’ practice from its beginnings in the mid-1950s to the 21st century has included a diverse scope of projects combining new technology with thoughtful function and sculptural yet simple forms.
For Afra and Tobia, a close collaborative process was pivotal to the success of their designs. The duo was also prolific — they designed for the most influential European manufacturers, including B&B Italia, Cassina, Knoll and FLOS. With respect to the latter, Afra and Tobia were among the legendary Italian lighting maker’s earliest collaborators, and their pioneering designs for the brand included the Papillon lamp, one of the first fixtures to use halogen technology. Their most recognized designs include the Bastiano sofa (1962), the Vanessa bed (1959), the Coronado sofa (1966) and the Soriana seating collection (1970). Work on the Soriana sofa began in late 1969 for an early 1970 debut, and it feels as radical today as it did in its heyday.
Architecture was also a central part of Afra and Tobia’s practice, which spanned residential buildings and factories for Italian companies such as Benetton. Their commissions for the global fashion brand included numerous industrial projects, from textile plants to storefronts. By 1985, Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work was celebrated in a 30-year retrospective at Center Four in Queens, New York. Looking around the 30,000-square-foot exhibition space, Afra joked to the New York Times, “Seeing all those things makes us feel very tired, and now we feel that maybe we worked too much.”
It was not too much for their legacy, as Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work continues to inspire new generations. Scarpa designs are in collections at the Louvre, the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The couple was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1970 for the Soriana armchair.
Find vintage Tobia Scarpa table lamps, sofas, dining chairs and other furniture today on 1stDibs.
Soriana by Tobia Scarpa Three Seater Sofa for Cassina, Modern Italian Design
By Cassina, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
A design armchair with soft, generous contours, designed to bring home casual, sophisticated comfort that opens the door to new, freer lifestyles. The idea for this armchair that...
Metal
$9,868 / item
Soriana Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Cassina, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Soriana armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina. Manufactured in Italy. The idea of comfort itself becomes a sofa. Soriana came into being in 1969, thanks to an intuitive vision...
Metal
Soriana Armchair by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Metal & Fabric, Italy
By Cassina, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
A design armchair with soft, generous contours, designed to bring home casual, sophisticated comfort that opens the door to new, freer lifestyles. The idea for this armchair that...
Metal
Minimalist Outdoor Armchair by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
A stylish, minimalist outdoor armchair designed for the younger generation that invites the spontaneity typical of a day to be enjoyed outdoors. In 1967, Afra and Tobia Scarpa craf...
Fabric, Wood
Limited Edition Soriana Denim Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Cassina, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Soriana limited edition Denim armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina. A design armchair with soft, generous contours, designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa in the 1960s to bring ...
Metal
$9,868 / item
Soriana Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Cassina, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Soriana armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina. Manufactured in Italy. The idea of comfort itself becomes a sofa. Soriana came into being in 1969, thanks to an intuitive vision...
Metal
Minimalist Outdoor Armchair by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
A stylish, minimalist outdoor armchair designed for the younger generation that invites the spontaneity typical of a day to be enjoyed outdoors. In 1967, Afra and Tobia Scarpa craf...
Fabric, Wood
$9,868 / item
Soriana Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Soriana armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina. Manufactured in Italy. The idea of comfort itself becomes a sofa. Soriana came into being in 1969, thanks to an intuitive vision...
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Outdoor Coffee Table by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Outdoor coffee table that invites companionship, designed for days of outdoor fun lived in the lap of comfort, surrounded by the warmth of natural wood and design elegance. A sophis...
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Outdoor Coffee Table by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Outdoor coffee table that invites companionship, designed for days of outdoor fun lived in the lap of comfort, surrounded by the warmth of natural wood and design elegance. A soph...
Wood
Minimalist Outdoor Armchair by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
A stylish, minimalist outdoor armchair designed for the younger generation that invites the spontaneity typical of a day to be enjoyed outdoors. In 1967, Afra and Tobia Scarpa crafted a chair that speaks to an active, dynamic generation. The result is a comfortable, innovative design armchair that conveys practicality and comfort at first sight. Simple and yet sophisticated with its elegant system of joints and woven cord supports, Carlotta is perfect outdoor seating for casual comfort, thanks to its cushions padded with recycled PET fiber. Materials: Wood Fabric Measurements: H 69 cm W 86 cm D 87 cm Important information regarding images of products: Please note that some of the images show other colors and variations of the model, these images are only to present interior design proposals. The item that is selling is on the first image. Important information regarding color(s) of products: Actual colors may vary. This is due to the fact that every computer monitor, laptop, tablet and phone screen has a different capability to display colors and that everyone sees these colors differently. We try to edit our photos to show all of our products as life-like as possible, but please understand the actual color may vary slightly from your monitor About the designer: Architect and designer Tobia Scarpa graduated in 1969 at the University of Venice and in the same year won a “Compasso d’Oro” prize for his “Soriana” armchair designed for Cassina. He has since been awarded many other design prizes and many of his designs can also be found on show in some of the world’s key museums, including his ‘Libertà’ chair...
Fabric, Wood
Puff Armchair by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Modern Italian Design
By Cassina, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
A design puff with soft, generous contours, designed to bring home casual, sophisticated comfort that opens the door to new, freer lifestyles. The idea for this puff that changed t...
Metal
$13,000
H 25.6 in W 68.9 in D 39.38 in
Afra & Tobia Scarpa “Soriana” Sofa for Cassina, Ivory Bouclé, 1969
By Cassina, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Afra & Tobia Scarpa “Soriana” two-seater sofa for Cassina, ivory bouclé, Italy, 1969. Although technically designed in the 1960s, the "Soriana" model by the Italian duo Tobia and Afra Scarpa is firmly associated with the next decade, when its popularity peaked. "Soriana" is low and invites you to sink into its curves. The most notable feature of this couch, however, is the Minimalist structure in chromed steel. This external structure in steel rod keeps the cover taut using buttons...
Bouclé
$2,089
H 15.36 in W 29.53 in D 29.53 in
Square Coffee Table by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy 1965
By Cassina, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Roma, IT
Stunning Mid-Century coffee table Model 771 in a very rare rosewood version. This iconic table was designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa and produced by Cassina in Italy during the 1960s...
Wood
$9,868
H 27.17 in W 71.26 in D 39.38 in
"Soriana" sofa in yellow fabric by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, 1970s
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Milano, IT
The "Soriana" two-seater sofa, designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa in 1969 and produced by Casina starting in the 1970s, is a true icon of 20th-century Italian design. This piece, reno...
Metal
$777Sale Price|20% Off
H 14.97 in W 29.53 in D 29.53 in
Afra & Tobia Scarpa Rosewood Coffee Table for Cassina 1960s
By Cassina, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Conversano, IT
Beautiful model 771 side table designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina in the mid-1960s, originally produced and sold with the iconic 121 chairs from the same series. Entirely ...
Palisander
$1,683
H 14.18 in W 25.2 in D 25.2 in
Afra & Tobia Scarpa Square Coffee Table with Smoked Glass, Italy, 1960s
By Cassina, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Roma, IT
Gorgeous mid-century square coffee table in dark walnut with a smoked glass top. This stylish coffee table was produced in Italy during the 1960s and is attributed to Afra & Tobi...
Glass, Smoked Glass, Wood, Walnut
$1,277
H 20.48 in W 29.53 in D 29.53 in
Cassina, Mid-Century Modern Italian Design Square Light Wood Coffee Table
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Firenze, IT
A very slick vintage Italian solid wood coffee table designed by Tobia and Afra Scarpa for Cassina in 1960s. Table top is a double-sided, could be easily removed from the base that ...
Wood
$23,000
H 29.5 in W 97 in D 40 in
Soriana Sofa by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Velvet, Chrome, 1969
By Cassina, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in New York, NY
Afra & Tobia Scarpa 'Soriana' Sofa for Cassina, Italy, 1969 The revolutionary and unique 'Soriana' three-seat sofa was designed by the Italian designer duo, Afra and Tobia Scarp...
Chrome
$3,960 / set
H 30.5 in W 48 in D 48 in
Tobia Scarpa “André” Square Dining Table for Gavina / Knoll International, 1970s
By Knoll, Tobia Scarpa
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Tobia Scarpa “André” Square Dining Table for Gavina / Knoll International, Chrome & Glass, 48" Two Pieces: Table base and Glass Top An architectural square table of exceptional mod...
Chrome
$1,915
H 15.36 in W 29.53 in D 29.53 in
Square Walnut Coffee Table by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy 1965
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Cassina
Located in Roma, IT
Stunning Mid-Century coffee table Model 771 in walnut wood designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa and produced by Cassina, in Italy during the 1960s. The table is signed inside one of the...
Wood
$5,805
H 28.75 in W 29.53 in D 51.19 in
Afra & Tobia Scarpa Midcentury “778” Extensible Dining Table for Cassina, 1967
By Cassina, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Vicenza, IT
The “778” model is an example of solid wood boards arranged to form a C-shaped frame. The table, with a top that opens, is supported by four trestles, two of which are a few centimet...
Walnut
FRONT – Minimalist Work Desk in Walnut Wood 120x60
By Pedro Sottomayor
Located in Lisboa, Lisboa
A statement piece for refined workspaces – handcrafted in solid walnut, this minimalist executive desk blends functionality and sculptural presence. Elevate your workspace with this...
Wood, Walnut, Plywood
$2,600Sale Price|20% Off
H 29.53 in W 70.87 in D 35.44 in
Ico Parisi Mid-Century Modern Desk for MIM Roma, Walnut and Metal
By MIM Roma, Ico & Luisa Parisi
Located in bari, IT
Ico Parisi desk in wood and steel including leg protectors for MIM Rome. MIM (Mobili Italiani Moderni) was founded in Rome in 1957 as a company for the des...
Metal
Sold
H 27.96 in W 37.41 in D 41.34 in
Limited Edition Soriana Denim Armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina
By Cassina, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Soriana limited edition Denim armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina. A design armchair with soft, generous contours, designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa in the 1960s to bring ho...
Metal