Houses Gardens People: GIO PONTI CHAIRS

GIO PONTI D.154.2 CHAIRS

Italian architect Giovanni “Gio” Ponti designed some of the most significant furniture of the 20th century, including pieces made for his own stunning Milan houses. A fan of industrial design, Ponti produced furniture that was considered democratic and economical, as well as modern and sophisticated. The Italian furniture maker Molteni&C teamed with the Ponti heirs in 2013 to reissue a selection of tables, rugs, chairs, and casegoods found in Ponti’s own homes, along with limited editions he produced for clients. Now, after a long wait, three additional Ponti chairs, reissued between 2015-2017, have made their way stateside. His D.151.4 easy chair was originally designed for use on luxury ocean liners and cruise ships between 1949 - 1951; the D.156.3 lounge chair was first produced for the American company Altamira, which sold furniture by other icons of design such as Ico Parisi and Franco Albini; and the D.154.2 armchair was a 1953 commission for one of his favorite projects, the Villa Planchart in Caracas. The Ponti collaboration is part of Molteni’s ongoing Heritage Collection, which also features classics by Werner Blaser, Yashuhiko Itoh, and Tobia Scarpa. Gio Ponti chairs, $3,510 - $6,855.00. Available through Smink, 109 Dragon St., 214.350.0542.