Analysing historical contexts and reinterpreting traditional elements and structures was a strategy that Aldo Rossi first established in his architectural work in the quest for a timeless concept of architecture. Rossi believed that certain structural elements could be seamlessly transferred to objects, thereby endowing aeven small items with a certain monumentalism. This is the case with Rossi’s Parigi chair, too. Its simple, rectangular-shaped seat and backrest are made from polyurethane foam. The chair’s strict geometry is broken by the dynamic curve which, defined by the element that forms both the armrests and front legs, seems to shift the whole structure out of the right angle. This causes the particular dynamism of the design and reminds one of streamlined furniture of the 1930s. Thanks to extrusion manufacturing technology, it was possible to realize the frame in a light aluminium structure. Rossi designed the Parigi armchair as part of an office furniture series for UniFor which also included a desk and a bookcase. Due to its synthesis of 1980s zeitgeist and classic elegance, the chair became an icon of postmodern design and is still produced today.
Text: Elena Dellapiana
