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Architonic ID: 1020489
Year of Launch: 2004
Maralunga 3-seater sofa
238 x 95 x H 72-100/45 cm
Concept
Cool Since 1974 – Cassina celebrates the 40th anniversary of Maralunga, the iconic sofa by Vico Magistretti with a project that narrates the past, the present and the future.
The Cassina showroom in Milan pays tribute to one of the most famous sofas of our times: the Maralunga. A journey that traces the making of a legend, from its creation in the seventies through to today’s presentation of a fresh new edition, and a study project by students from the ECAL/University of art and design Lausanne.
The seventies: enlightening intuition
While ABBA were busy winning the Eurovision Song Contest singing Waterloo and Ern Rubik was inventing the twists and turns of the world's most famous cube, Vico Magistretti was completing one of his most renowned models, acclaimed winner of a Compasso d’Oro award. The anecdote tells of how Cesare Cassina punched a prototype of Maralunga with his clenched fist when it was shown to him by the Milanese architect, as the piece failed to completely meet his demand for extreme comfort. The consequent break of the poor sofa back was just the enlightenment Magistretti needed: the clumsy movement showed him the intuitive criterion needed to make this traditional element more innovative and he commented, “right, great, it looks perfect to me like that”.
The magic of movement, innovation and comfort
The Maralunga sofa immediately made its mark as an article with great strength and impact on the international market. The concealed innovation in the way its headrest could be moved to give a low or high back- developed from a simple bike chain- its reassuring appearance and the extreme simplicity of its soft padding, fully summarise the salient characteristics of this design.
“My intention with Maralunga”, said Vico Magistretti, “was to design an object that represented a whole range of interior architecture with a familiar feel. Somewhere warm, comfortable and cosy, where one can feel totally at ease in the new-found embrace of those old, comfy, protective reading armchairs pulled up to a fireplace or window. Two positions, two possible uses, two different ways to create your own personal space inside a room”.
2014: a new anniversary model
To celebrate this special anniversary, Cassina presents the new Maralunga ‘40 version, upholstered in fabric or leather with distinctive stitching, a simple yet refined pinch around the edges, which gives it an even more modern and youthful appearance. This new version joins the classic Maralunga to offer a more ample choice to suit all settings and, most of all, all ages.
Armchair, ottoman and sofas with steel frame and plastic material base. CFC-free polyurethane foam and polyester padding. Seat cushions in polyurethane foam and polyester padding.
Back with movable headrest which is instantaneously convertible from the low to the high position.
The sofa headrests are individual and independent for each seat.
Fabric or leather upholstery.
Cassina continues to celebrate one of the most famous sofas of our times: the Maralunga. A journey that traces the making of a legend, from its creation in the seventies through to today’s fresh new edition, the Maralunga 40 sofa, with a removable fabric upholstery.
The seventies: enlightening intuition
While ABBA were busy winning the Eurovision Song Contest singing Waterloo and Ernő Rubik was inventing the twists and turns of the world's most famous cube, Vico Magistretti was completing one of his most renowned models, acclaimed winner of a Compasso d’Oro award. The anecdote tells of how Cesare Cassina punched a prototype of Maralunga with his clenched fist when it was shown to him by the Milanese architect, as the piece failed to completely meet his demand for extreme comfort. The consequent break of the poor sofa back was just the enlightenment Magistretti needed: the clumsy movement showed him the intuitive criterion needed to make this traditional element more innovative and he commented, “right, great, it looks perfect to me like that”.
The magic of movement, innovation and comfort
The Maralunga sofa immediately made its mark as an article with great strength and impact on the international market. The concealed innovation in the way its headrest could be moved to give a low or high back- developed from a simple bike chain- its reassuring appearance and the extreme simplicity of its soft padding, fully summarise the salient characteristics of this design.
“My intention with Maralunga”, said Vico Magistretti, “was to design an object that represented a whole range of interior architecture with a familiar feel. Somewhere warm, comfortable and cosy, where one can feel totally at ease in the new-found embrace of those old, comfy, protective reading armchairs pulled up to a fireplace or window. Two positions, two possible uses, two different ways to create your own personal space inside a room”.
Divano Maralunga 40, Vico Magistretti – Collezione Cassina I Contemporanei, con il rivestimento sfoderabile in tessuto

This product belongs to collection:
Panel base
3-seater
Seat adjustable, Seat and backrest upholstered, With armrests
Contract, Hospitality, Residential

Italy
Vico Magistretti was an Italian architect, as well as furniture and industrial designer. For many years he was a leading figure of Milan Rationalism, and developed timeless solutions for technical and formal problems. Vico Magistretti – a biography Ludovico Magistretti was born on 6 October 1920 in Milan. The son of an architect, he began his own architectural studies in 1939 at the Polytechnic University of Milan. In 1943, he left Italy during his military service, moving to Switzerland, where he attended architecture courses at the university in Lausanne. It was in Switzerland that Magistretti encountered the architects Ernesto Nathan Rogers, a key moment in his intellectual and professional formation. 1945 saw Magistretti move back to Milan, where he graduated from the polytechnic. He went on to work with the architect Paolo Chessa in his father Pier Giulio’s firm. Originally involved in city planning for Milan, Magistretti migrated in the 1950s over to the industrial design of furniture and lamps, working primarily for manufacturers Artemide, Cassina, Fritz Hansen and Kartell. One of his most celebrated pieces is the Carimate chair for Cassina, which, over the years, has become a bestseller. Magistretti’s work has been exhibited internationally in many of the most important museums, from Europe and the USA to Japan. Several pieces can be found in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Vico Magistretti’s various accolades include the Grand Prix and a Gold Medal from the Triennale di Milano, two Compasso d'Oro awards and a gold medal from the Chartered Society of Industrial Artists & Designers. Magistretti taught for 20 years at the Royal College of Art in London and was recognised as a Royal Designer. He also taught at Milan’s Domus Academy and was honorary member of the Royal Scottish Incorporation of Architects. Vico Magistretti’s design work Magistretti’s designs are considered by many to enjoy a cult status when it comes to Italian design. He was without doubt a leading figure in the golden era of Italian product design, combining innovative ideas with rational functionality. His work was always thoroughly utilitarian, using the latest technologies to create timeless classics. Carimate Chair In 1959, Vico Magistretti designed the Carimate Chair for the golf club in Carimate, Lombardy. It quickly became the most popular seating choice for restaurants throughout Italy. Produced by Cassina since 1962, the piece saw the beginning of a long collaboration with the Italian manufacturer. Eclisse Table Lamp Vico Magistretti designed the Eclisse Table Lamp in 1967 for the Italian manufacturer Artemide. The light source is housed at the centre of a small, sculpture-like form. The design was awarded a Compasso d'Oro in 1967 and can be found to this day in numerous museum collections worldwide. © by Architonic