Sweet and Lowdown: Flexform's timeless Groundpiece sofa

Consider what constitutes a modern design classic and certain elements spring to mind: simplicity, clarity, harmony, a sense of geometry and, more often than not, a refined and restrained style. The design needs to be so supremely functional that it proves superlative in comparison to the competition. It may prove so good that it invites imitation and will of course, most importantly, stand the test of time, enjoying popularity years and decades on from the day it was conceived.

Flexform’s Groundpiece sofa meets all of the above criteria. Launched 15 years ago, it remains the luxury Italian furniture brand’s best-selling sofa of all time, and, what’s more, its sales continue to rise. The talent behind this timeless creation is none other than Milan-based architect Antonio Citterio. Widely recognised as a virtuoso of clean, minimal lines, his relationship with Flexform dates back to 1970, when he was in his twenties. He has designed more than 50 products for the family-run firm over the past four decades, including the seminal I divani di famiglia collection, but this is undoubtedly his tour de force.

But first let us rewind a little, to understand how the seeds were sewn for Groundpiece. Flexform began in 1959 as a humble craft workshop, Flexform di Galimberti, run by the Galimberti brothers in Brianca. During the 1960s, the brothers’ furniture won favour among the upper echelons of Milanese society, and they were soon able to transform it into an industrial facility, launching it as Flexform, a joint-stock company, in 1967. Around this time, the pair initiated working relationships with the likes of Joe Colombo, Cini Boeri, Rodolfo Bonetto and emerging architect Antonio Citterio, to reinforce their ambitions to remain original and contemporary. Expansion into Europe and beyond followed in the ensuing decades and Flexform became internationally renowned for its elegant and refined seating solutions.

As the millennium approached, Flexform recognised the importance of maintaining its premier position in a global marketplace and so it was vital that the brand should continue to captivate an international audience; one that – increasingly design aware – was extremely demanding and sophisticated. Presence was key, and to this end Flexform opened many exclusive flagship monobrand stores around the world. But innovation was also paramount. Armed with its considerable expertise in sofa design, Flexform decided that revolutionising the way people used their living rooms – the social heart of the home – was the way forward. And who else should the company turn to for assistance but longtime collaborator Antonio Citterio.

This multi-disciplinary designer eschews the very idea of design “styles” and prefers to take the long view. “I like to work on products that are developed over time,” he has stated. “I don’t like to work just for the moment. I like to work over long time frames and on long-term concepts.” So it’s no surprise that Groundpiece emerged from research and development that first began in 1997. “The design originates from ongoing research on simple, user-friendly products with ample, soft surfaces,” recalls Citterio. Flexform was keen to reimagine the sofa, not just as place to relax, read, socialise or watch television but also as a place to enjoy dinner. And as the culture of working from home gained momentum and laptops and tablets grew in popularity, also as a place to work or surf the internet.

Citterio’s intelligent solution was two-fold. Not only did he alter the proportions, creating a very low and deep sofa – offering more space and enhancing the sense of informal relaxation – he also combined the typology of the bookshelf with the sofa, by introducing a shelving system that also functions as an armrest. As he says, “We wanted to achieve a product laying on the floor incorporating ample upholstered surfaces with the insertion of cowhide leather elements as armrests/bookshelves.” Pared down, geometric and incredibly minimal, the shelving elements very subtly evoke the work of American artist Donald Judd, an inspiration for Citterio, who describes him as a master of “simple composition”.

For the Italian designer, the major challenge was deciding how to insert the cowhide leather surfaces. “We wanted them to be of minimal thickness and the simplest appearance, therefore we didn’t want any visible stitching and so use raw, unfinished edges,” he explains, adding that it’s the combination of these “rigorous cowhide leather elements” with the soft, generous goosedown-filled cushions – a signature quality for which Flexform’s sofas are celebrated the world over – that lends Groundpiece its “timeless balance”.

Combining inviting levels of comfort with exceptional flexibility, Groundpiece is a sectional sofa that can be arranged in small or large compositions, making it perfectly suited for today’s fluid styles of living. Judging by its immense and continued success, Groundpiece is a beautifully composed “nesting refuge” that offers infinite possibilities to the 21st-century homeowner – a timeless classic that will adapt perfectly to its owner’s needs, however their lifestyle changes.

© Architonic