One of the family: Arper Catifa 46

In 2004, the Italian manufacturer ARPER introduced its Catifa 46 chair, laying the foundation for the celebrated family.

Deur Arper, Lievore Altherr Molina, Simon Pengelly en

Arper

November 8, 2018 | 11:00 pm CUT

Stackable and easy to store, Arper’s Catifa 46 chairs lend themselves well to large public spaces, such as music venue Szcezecin Philharmonic in Poland by Barozzi Veiga. Photo: Filip Kacalski

Of all Arper’s crisply contemporary designs, its ever-evolving Catifa family is one of its biggest sellers. This leading Italian furniture brand has sold over 2m Catifa 46 chairs since 2011 and, such is the demand for this sleek seating, that the Catifa family has steadily expanded over the years. It’s not surprising. The Catifa chair’s slender yet curvilinear, sensual silhouette is aesthetically pleasing. It is also functional and highly versatile: its chairs, lounge chairs, stools and benches are available in myriad finishes, come in a wide range of bases and accessories and are covered in a huge choice of fabrics or leather. Intended for contract and residential projects requiring compact, unimposing furniture, the Catifa collections have all been designed by established Spanish trio Lievore Altherr Molina.

The Catifa 46 chair is pleasingly varied, thanks to the multitude of colours, finishes and bases it comes in. Photos: Top: Marco Covi & RNDR Studio; above: Scheltens & Abbenes

Co-founded in 1989 by Luigi Feltrin and his sons Mauro and Claudio, Arper began collaborating with internationally renowned designers in the early Noughties, initially producing pieces by Lievore Altherr Molina, then by James Irvine, creator of the Juno chair, and Simon Pengelly, who dreamt up the Nuur table, which was awarded the 22nd Golden Compass award in 2011 for ‘its feeling of exceptional lightness and attention to detail in its design’.

For indoor and outdoor use and launched in 2004, Catifa 46 is Arper’s most iconic furniture collection and a long-term bestseller. It is the younger sister of Catifa 53, the first member of the family, launched in 2001. Seven Catifa collections have been created to date — others include Catifa 60, Catifa 70, Catifa 80, Catifa Sensit, launched in 2014, which boasts an ergonomic, inclining seat. The most recent one, Catifa Up, of 2017, is a development of Catifa 53 but features a higher backrest and optional armrests.

Chairs with sled bases are another permutation of Catifa 46. A recent iteration of the family is available in soft pastel hues, such as Old Pink-laquered. Photos: top: Marco Covi; above: Dominik Tarabanski

The name Catifa was carefully chosen: meaning carpet in Catalan, it evokes a rug caught in the wind, curling up and taking flight. This dynamic image perfectly captures the protean character of the chair, which encompasses many permutations, while retaining its essential form. What’s more, the Catifa chair’s sinuous backrest is suggestive of movement and freedom yet provides firm, embracing, ergonomic support.

Original family member Catifa 53 provided the template for all the ensuing collections in terms of flexibility: Catifa chairs can come with several types of frames and legs, including with four legs in chromed, brushed or painted stainless steel, a sled base in chromed steel, a cantilevered, chromed steel base incorporating armrests or swivel bases in chromed or brushed stainless steel on self-braking castors. Launched in 2006, Catifa 80 is a lounge chair with a low backrest and generously broad seat. Consistent with other Catifa designs, it is sleek and slender.

For residential and contract use, the stackable, sled-base Catifa 46 – in a home office and a Zalando meeting room (by de Winder Architekten) – is also available with soft upholstery for added comfort. Photos: top: Salva Lopez; above: Mark Seelen

The same year saw the appearance of Catifa 70, a lounge chair accompanied by a footrest. The chair has a slim, gently curving silhouette and its high backrest and seat are padded with cushions for additional comfort. In 2008, Arper brought out Catifa 60, which, although similar to Catifa 70, has a backrest at different heights and a broad, capacious seat, making it adaptable for home as well as office use.

Catifa 46 comes in almost limitless variations. Its shell is available in a multitude of materials, including double-curved plywood, monochrome or bi-coloured polypropylene and can be covered in leather, fabric or upholstered pads. The base comes in steel, in aluminium or wood and with four legs, sled legs or swivel bases. The sled and four-leg bases are stackable to facilitate storage and use of many chairs in one space, say, in a conference hall. The chair can also incorporate a tablet for use in a university campus or auditorium. And there’s a stool version with a sled or swivel base.

The versatile Catifa 46 is adaptable to countless environments, from informal university libraries (Sorbonne, GPAA) to more formal restaurants. Photos: top, middle: 11h45; above: Alberto Salata

In 2016, Arper unveiled another iteration of Catifa 46 at the Salone del Mobile in Milan — chairs in a spectrum of delicate, on-trend hues: Ivory, Turtledove Grey, Yellow, Old Pink, Petroleum Blue. These come in a monochrome shade or can be customised by juxtaposing two colours from the same palette, lending this twist on Catifa 46 a satisfying unity. Thanks to a choice of fabric textures and finishes on the shell, the chairs can be tailor-made even more to suit individual tastes.

The beauty of the Catifa concept is that it’s open-ended and open-minded. It is anyone’s guess how it will evolve but it is sure to spawn new yet enduringly appealing collections.

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