With his stylish and technically innovative furniture, Osvaldo Borsani helped change the face of Italian design in the 1950s and ’60s. His sofas and chairs, featuring deeply upholstered seating and adjustable position settings, have an aura of optimism and efficiency that still seems fresh and lively today.
Born in the commune of Varedo in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, Borsani studied at the Brera Academy in Milan — the same school attended by such luminaries as designer Piero Fornasetti and artist Lucio Fontana — as well as the Polytechnic University of Milan. Borsani first worked for his father’s furniture-making firm, Arredamenti Borsani, an atelier influenced by the more expressive and curvaceous wing of Art Deco design.
By 1953, when, along with his twin brother, Fulgenzio — the pair also created this visionary mid-century villa — Borsani opened the furniture company Tecno, his design sensibilities had evolved toward furnishings with strong, simple forms enhanced by mechanical innovations, as with the P40 adjustable armchair. Borsani would be the firm’s lead designer for 30 years, while fostering work by Vico Magistretti, Carlo De Carli, Robin Day and others.
Similar to Gio Ponti in the earliest years of his career, Borsani first created designs marked by lush and buoyant lines: tables with voluptuous curved legs, sofas with undulating backrests.
But Borsani’s best-known and most novel pieces date from Tecno’s initial furniture lines: the adjustable D70 sofa, which folds open to make a daybed, and the P40 recliner. The latter — now included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum — is an articulated lounger with a back, seat and leg rest that can be moved into 486 different positions. Not only is it extremely comfortable, it is also enduringly chic.
Find a collection of vintage Osvaldo Borsani tables, dining chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
201 Armless Chair by Elias Svedberg
By Elias Svedberg
Located in Dallas, TX
Rare and important, 201 armless chair by Elias Svedberg for Nordiska Kompaniet -1947 imported by Knoll International. The 201 arm...
Birch, Upholstery
Cassina LC4 Chaise Lounge by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret & Charlotte Perriand
By Cassina, Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand Cassina
Located in Dallas, TX
An iconic piece of 20th-century design, the LC4 Chaise Lounge—often referred to as the “relaxing machine”—was originally conceived in 1928 by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, and Char...
Steel, Chrome
Karuselli Tilt & Swivel Lounge Chair by Yrjo Kukkapuro for Haimi Finland 1960s
By Yrjö Kukkapuro, Haimi
Located in Dallas, TX
Karuselli tilt and swivel lounge chair by Yrjo Kukkapuro for Haimi of Finland in original terracotta leather with a chocolate brown fiberglass frame. This model 418 easy chair is con...
Leather, Fiberglass
Charles Eames Aluminum Group Lounge Chair and Ottoman for Herman Miller
By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman Miller
Located in Dallas, TX
Charles and Ray Eames 'Aluminum Group' lounge chair model EA124 and ottoman model EA125. This is an early production one-owner example that has been very well ...
Aluminum
MR Lounge Chairs by Ludwig Mies van der Rhoe for Knoll
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Knoll
Located in Dallas, TX
Beautiful and unusual pair of MR Lounge Chairs by Ludwig Mies van der Rhoe from the MR collection, 1927. The lounge chairs are early Knoll production constructed of polished chrome t...
Steel
Gio Ponti Velvet Lounge Chairs in Walnut & Brass for M. Singer and Sons, 1950s
By Gio Ponti, M. Singer & Sons
Located in Dallas, TX
Rare pair of lounge chairs designed by Italian architect Gio Ponti and produced for M. Singer & Sons circa 1950. Exquisitely restored to the highest possible standard.
Brass
P40 Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Palm Springs, CA
P40 lounge chair designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. The lounge, with an extendable footrest, is designed to recline be adjusted in many different positions depending on the user’...
Brass, Steel
Vintage P40 Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, First Series
By Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Milano, IT
Borsani P40 Lounge Chair - Italian Collectible Furniture - Mid Century Armchair - Collectible Italian Mid Century Designed in 1956 by Italian architect Osvaldo Borsani, the P40 loun...
Metal, Stainless Steel
First Edition P40 Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, 1960s, Italy
By Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Renens, CH
Osvaldo Borsani, an Italian architect and furniture designer, aimed to create a lounger that would go beyond the bulky, static nature of the “comfortable chair”. The result was the P40 lounge chair, which could be adjusted in many different positions depending on the user’s preferences. With the P40 lounge chair, Borsani created one of the most recognized pieces of the Italian post-war design movement. Available we have a first edition P40...
Metal
P40 Modernist Lounge Chair by Osvaldo Borsani
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in New York, NY
P40 lounge chair designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. The adjustable lounge chair can be set to several different positions. Crafted from steel, brass, rubber and upholstery.
Brass, Steel
Lounge Chair-Design "P40" by Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno, Italy, 1955
By Tecno Design Centre, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Wolfurt, AT
Osvaldo Borsani "P40" relax armchair, manufacturer Tecno, Italy, 1950s. The armchair has been completely restored and covered again with the original cover. It now only needs a new f...
Brass, Steel
20th Century, Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Armchair mod. P40
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Torino, Piemonte
Osvaldo Borsani in 1953, together with his brother Fulgenzio, realized his most complex project: a company idea named after the "techne" of the Greeks, which means both art and techn...
Metal
