Top image: Bobo by Cini Boeri

The history of Arflex goes back to 1947, when Carlo Barass, an engineer at Pirelli, together with Ranato Teani, who worked in the financial department at Pirelli, Pio Reggiani and Aldo Bai, came together to set up the company Ar-flex (flexible furniture), which was later renamed Arflex.

The company has embraced the spirit of experimentation since the beginning. In its early days, it began investigating new uses for materials such as foam rubber and elastic tape in its furniture; a focus on technology, and its collaborations with many renowned designers have also served as a fundamental part of its history.

Strips by Cini Boeri

Today, Arflex furniture is made entirely in Italy, in its factory in Giussano. Its products can be found in a diverse range of projects around the world from hotels to shops, restaurants, offices, universities and more. Selected works are also held in prestigious museums.

Strips by Cini Boeri

What you need to know about Arflex:

#1 The company has received numerous awards. Notably, two of its products, the Lady armchair and Sleep-o-matic sofa by Marco Zanuso were awarded the Medaglia d’oro at IX Triennale in the company’s very first presentation to the public in 1951.

#2 In 1961, the company’s offering extended beyond the home space to include products for the office and public areas.

Cloud by Carlo Colombo

#3 The company produced some of its most innovative products in the latter half of the ‘60s. These included Gaia (1965) by Carlo Bartoli, an armchair in polyester resins and glass fibre; Bobo (1967) by Cini Boeri, the first mono-block seat in polyurethane foam without internal structure; and Serpentone (1971) by Cini Boeri, a revolutionary sofa in polyurethane assuming winding shapes for an endless length.

#4  Strips (1972) by Cini Boeri and recipient of the Compasso d’Oro award is one of its most famous and well-loved product, even to this day. Strips is offered as a sofa and a sofa bed and its key feature is its removable quilted cover. Notably, the cover of the Strips bed can be unzipped, turning it into a blanket.

#5 In 2010, the company presented its very first outdoor collection, Cloud, designed by Carlo Colombo.

Mangold by Claesson Koivisto Rune

#6 In 2008, Arflex began its partnership with Swedish architects Claesson Koivisto Rune. They designed Hillside in 2010, Jules and Jim and Mangold in 2015, and most recently, Bonsai (2016)

#7 This year, Arflex has launched its first lighting product, the Papillon lamp, in collaboration with Bernhardt&Vella.

Visit the new Arflex shop-in-shop at Space Asia Hub.

Arflex
arflex.it

Space Furniture
spacefurniture.com.sg

Jules by Claesson Koivisto Rune

Papillon by Bernhardt&Vella