699 Superleggera

Chairs from Cassina, Designed by Gio Ponti

Product description

A highlight of Cassina’s catalogue since 1957, the Superleggera represents the perfect outcome between the creative imagination of the architect Gio Ponti, and Cassina’s manufacturing excellence, an undisputed icon that is both of-the-moment and pays tribute to traditional artisanal skills. Superleggera demonstrates the constructive prowess of the Cassina craftsmen: the challenge they faced, of making an extra-light chair, was overcome with the Superleggera’s legs having a cross-section of just eighteen millimetres, the whole weighing a mere 1,700 grams While the frame exploits the inherent lightness and flexibility of ashwood, the seat surround is in beech, which is more close-grained and stronger. The wood parts are created by machine, and hand-finished, glue being applied with a brush, the excess being wiped off, and the seat being hand-woven. Thus do crafts expertise and industrial innovation come together in what we could call a “prime object”, informed by the chair-making traditions of Chiavari, in Liguria, northern Italy. The Superleggera is available both in the classic version or with coloured legs, as well as with a padded seat.

Concept

Cassina presents two new re-editions of the iconic 699 Superleggera chair designed by Gio Ponti for the Cassina I Contemporanei Collection. Alongside the current natural ash-wood, black lacquered and white lacquered chairs with an Indian cane seat, new variants taken from Cassina’s late 1950’s production are available with colourful padded seats in removable leather or fabric. This version, with 450 possible combinations, has a natural ash-wood frame that can be open pore varnished in black or white, elegantly revealing the true essence of the wooden structure.
The second re-edition, inspired by a model designed by Ponti in the 1950’s for exhibitions but which was never serially produced, has a stunning bicolour black and white lacquered frame and padded white or graphite leather seat.

“In the darkness” said Ponti “it will be even lighter because it will be supported by just two legs".

An authentic masterpiece
Gio Ponti regarded the Superleggera chair as one of his three masterpieces (together with the Pirelli Tower in Milan and the Concattedrale of Taranto). It represents a symbol of perfection and balance between solidity and lightness, with a triangular section of just 18 millimetres and a minimum weight of 1,700 grams. It is the fruit of Gio Ponti’s research and the experimental and creative ability and expertise of Cassina and its craftsmen, who have produced this chair non-stop since 1957.

More about this product

Part of the collection CHAIRS AND SMALL ARMCHAIRS.
Manufacturer Cassina
Family 699 Superleggera
Architonic ID 1001979
Year of Launch 2002
Year of Design 1905

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