Spotlight on a new iteration of the Leggera chair

Cassina has been at the forefront of new technology ever since it switched from hand-crafted techniques to mass-production in the 1950s. And the new Leggera Outdoor is no exception. Indeed the manufacturer borrowed a technique used to create the Formula One single-seater – hydroforming – to produce the new chair in steel, making it durable enough for outdoor use. Unlike traditional forming techniques, this elaborate technology expands the thin curved tubular steel from the inside out to create the shape of the structure. 

Aesthetically, the new version remains faithful to the design of the original wood Leggera which was inspired by the Chiavari chair made by craftspeople in its namesake Italian coastal town and is one of the flagship pieces in the partnership between Gio Ponti, Cesare Cassina and the company’s joinery experts. Following on from this manual tradition, Cassina used innovative technologies to sculpt the original seat’s slimline form – a sign of the company's commitment to continuously exploring new techniques. 

Now technology once again plays a key role in the fabrication of the outdoor version since hydroforming allows it to retain the original design’s classic lightweight structure and form, including its characterful backrest. The original pared-down wooden chair is still in production thanks to its timeless, elegant style.

Yet, like Perriand’s Mexique Outdoor pieces, the outdoor Leggera comes in a variety of uplifting colour combinations as well as in more neutral tones. The zingy green shade and blue hue, for example, are evocative of summer when outdoor living comes into its own and we find ourselves in closest contact with nature and with vistas of the sea and sky. The colourway also perfectly reflects how nature is one of the main inspirations behind Cassina’s outdoor collections.

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