Desk by BBPR for Olivetti, 1950s-1960s

Description

Large table or office 'spazio' on the tray covered with green vinyl, resting on a gray and black metal base. … more Large table or office 'spazio' on the tray covered with green vinyl, resting on a gray and black metal base. The feet end with black circular tips.

bbpr studio model for olivetti, in the 1950s and 1960s
the "spazio" series was designed by the bbpr studio for olivetti: in 1954, the italian office equipment manufacturer, hired bbpr to design his new york showroom on the fifth avenue and to create his first series of office furniture, called spazio (1959/60). This line included chairs, offices, shelves and cabinet systems. Pelle won the oro compasso prize in 1962.
today, the "spazio" series office is part of the permanent moma collection.

bbpr was an architectural partnership founded by gianluigi banfi (1910-1945), lodovico barbiano di belgiojoso (1909-2004), enrico peressutti (1908-1976) and ernesto nathan rogers (1909-1969). Bbpr was therefore an acronym formed from the first letters of their family names.
the partnership was founded in opposition to fascism. Bbpr wanted to develop a style that had no reference to contemporary politics.
during the second world war, they all joined the resistance.
however, rogers, a jew, fled to switzerland and belgiojoso and banfi are both deported to the mauthausen concentration camp in austria, where banfi died in 1945.
despite the immense loss of banfi, their architectural practice continued under the same name as before after the war.
it was especially in the 1950s that they created many of their major projects. With their drawings, they strongly reacted against the international style, with its rectilinear forms and its flat and tense surfaces, completely devoid of ornamentation. On the contrary, the group has enriched its medieval reference buildings, with the example known, the torre velasca in milan.

as is: wear on the feet, task on vinyl

h81cm
180 x 79 cm


this piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



issues arising from misattribution less