Swiss architect Mario Botta may be renowned for his impressive postmodern architecture projects such as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, but the chairs, lighting and other furniture he created reflect a mastery of geometrically rich forms and an elegant application of simple symmetry.
Born in Mendrisio, Switzerland, in 1943, Botta gained an interest in architecture at an early age. He apprenticed at the architectural firm Carloni and Camenisch and designed his first building — a two-family house at Morbis Superiore in Ticino — at age 16. During the early 1960s, Botta attended the Liceo Artistico in Milan and then studied at the University Institute of Architecture in Venice under art historian Giuseppe Mazzariol and influential Italian architect Carlo Scarpa.
While studying in Venice, Botta worked for Swiss-born French architect Le Corbusier — whose career spanned hundreds of architecture projects — and gained inspiration from Estonian-American architect Louis Kahn, who was known for his modern and brutalist architectural style. In 1969, Botta completed his studies and established his practice in Lugano, designing and building single-family homes.
Throughout the 1970s, Botta gained fame for his innovative, geometrical designs and deceptively simple forms, such as his first large-scale building project in 1977 — the Middle School in Morbio Inferiore, Switzerland. Botta later established himself as one of the masters of 1980s postmodern design in his architecture and his furniture. His postmodern ideas characterize the dining room tables and seating he designed for companies such as Alias, as well as his table lamps and floor lamps for Artemide.
Botta’s noteworthy architectural projects designed during the 1990s and 2000s include the Cymbalista Synagogue and Jewish Heritage Center in Tel Aviv, Israel; the Monastery of the Holy Apostles Saint Peter and Andrew in Lviv, Ukraine; and the Theater of Architecture in Mendrisio, in 2018.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Mario Botta lighting fixtures, seating, tables and decorative objects.
$1,292
H 37.4 in W 17.71 in D 21.65 in
Mario Botta La Quinta chair for Alias, Switzerland 1985, One Chair
By Alias, Mario Botta
Located in Basel, BS
Fast Shipping, insured in 8-15 days. Mint condition original 1980s La Quinta chair by Mario Botta Chairs for Alias. One chair is left. During the 198...
Metal, Sheet Metal
Quinta chair by Mario Botta for Alias, 1985.
By Alias, Mario Botta
Located in Athens, Attiki
Quinta chairs by Mario Botta for Alias, 1985.
Metal
Swiss ‘Quinta’ Accent Chair by Mario Botta for Alias, 1985
By Mario Botta
Located in Chicago, IL
Designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta for Alias in 1985, the ‘Quinta’ chair is composed of a black-lacquered steel rod frame with a perforated sheet metal seat and back. Its archit...
Metal, Steel
Mario Botta Latonda Chair
By Alias, Mario Botta
Located in Barcelona, ES
The 'Latonda' chair was designed by the famous Swiss architect Mario Botta in 1987 for the Italian company Alias. This chair has become an icon of contemporary design and is characte...
Steel, Sheet Metal
$1,168
H 36.62 in W 22.45 in D 17.72 in
Italian postmodern metal Quinta 605 chair by Mario Botta for Alias, 1980s
By Alias, Mario Botta
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian postmodern metal Quinta 605 chair by Mario Botta for Alias, 1980s. Quinta 605 chair, postmodern Italian, in metal by Mario Botta for Alias 1980 Quinta 605 armchair with seat ...
Metal
Latonda chair designed by Mario Botta for Alias, Italy 1987
By Mario Botta, Alias
Located in Milano, IT
Latonda chair designed by Mario Botta for Alias, Italy 1987 The bent steel tube traces a fluid curve that gracefully moves through space. The two inclined circles, broken at the cen...
Steel
$1,204Sale Price / item|42% Off
H 33.08 in W 19.69 in D 23.23 in
1980s Postmodern Mario Botta Latonda Chair for Alias (two available) -- 1 pc
By Mario Botta, Alias
Located in Basel, BS
What a beauty! Stunning RARE Mario Botta accent chair for any space! Very fast shipping, insured 7-21 days. RARE Black leather model, with silver frame. Chair "Latonda" Production: ...
Metal
$4,249 / set
H 37.41 in W 17.72 in D 19.69 in
Set of Four "Quinta" Chairs Designed by Mario Botta for Alias, 1985
By Alias, Mario Botta
Located in taranto, IT
Set of four "Quinta" model chairs, designed by Mario Botta for Alias, in the 1980s. Entirely made of metal, with a very particular shape, they are in excellent condition. Measu...
Metal
“QUINTA” by Mario Botta B of pair, Italy, 1990s
By Mario Botta
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
Designed in 1985 by renowned Swiss architect Mario Botta for Alias, the vintage Quinta chair stands out as perhaps his most architectural seating design. The striking sweeping arch e...
Metal
“QUINTA” by Mario Botta A of pair, Italy, 1990s
By Mario Botta
Located in Tokyo, Tokyo
Designed in 1985 by renowned Swiss architect Mario Botta for Alias, the vintage Quinta chair stands out as perhaps his most architectural seating design. The striking sweeping arch e...
Metal
Rare postmodern ISU armchair with cast aluminium by Shigeru Uchida for Pastoe
By Pastoe
Located in London, GB
Rare dark green and cast aluminium ISU armchair by Japanese designer Shigeru Uchida, manufactured for only a short period of time by Pastoe. In keeping with Uchida's minimalist appro...
Aluminum
Thinking Man's Chair by Jasper Morrison
Located in London, GB
Inspired by a stripped-back chair frame, Jasper Morrison wanted to design an easy chair which was all structure and no closed surfaces. First prototyped in 1985, the chair was origin...
Steel
Rare Horns chair in aluminium by Ron Arad 1985
By Ron Arad
Located in London, GB
Marked a crucial step for Ron Arad into fabrication from scratch, the Horns chair was based on a simple manipulation of flat aluminium sheets, joined together with curved lengths of ...
Aluminum
1970s Italian Architectural Perforated Steel Chair by Urano Palma
Located in London, GB
This chair was designed by the Italian sculptor Urano Palma (1936–2010). It is constructed from bent and perforated sheet steel with a smooth, semi-gloss dark green enamel finish. Th...
Steel
Pair of Piccola Tentazione armchairs by Mario Bellini
By Mario Bellini
Located in London, GB
Translated as 'small temptations', the Piccola Tentazione armchairs by Mario Bellini boast economical proportions and foam contouring for comfort. In soft forest green velvet, these ...
Velvet, Plastic, Foam
"Kipplehnstuhl" by Joachim Eckhardt
Located in London, GB
Sourced from Germany, this prototype armchair has a constructivist form and contrasting elmwood panels against lacquer steel frame. Titled 'Kipplehnstuhl' which translates to 'reclin...
Steel
