In 1947 a group of technicians began to experiment with foam rubber and elastic tapes in furniture design.
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Inspirer of this operation is Marco Zanuso, one of the very first architects involved with the systems of products industrialization, from application of new materials to new technologies.
The first memorable moments in the history of arflex coincide with the company's creation, in modest premises in Milan's Corso di Porta Vittoria. It was there that the first manufacturing and sales team was formed, but the arflex company was presented to the public for the first time in 1951, at the IX Triennale in Milan after two years of experimentations. This early contact with a wider audience in the context of an avant-garde artistic event is intensely significant in the company's history, because this experimental interest shows the will of creating high technological and esthetical level products based on deep research and experimentation.
Attention of arflex is constantly directed to cultural experimentation, succeeding in imposing new technological products. Some of their products which are now part of te history are Lady armchair, Sleep-o-matic sofa, Martingala armchair, Lucania chair and Delfino armchair.
Between 1950 and 1960 arflex involved in its researches architects who during the years after the Second World War started the debate on redefinition of Modern Movement in design and architecture (Albini, Zanuso, De Carlo, and Castiglioni brothers).
Between 1951 and 1954 arflex produced various models of car seat designed by Carlo Barassi. These could be fitted into the vehicle instead of standard production seats and offered outstanding comfort, thanks to the use of foam rubber and elastic tapes. The covers could be removed and the seatbacks were adjustable. Arflex strove to make its contribution to the comfort of those Italians who were beginning to travel.
Between 1955 and 1960 arflex began its diffusion on international markets with creation of consociated societies for manufacturing and sales in Benelux, France, Switzerland and Spain.
In the 80es arflex under leadership of new property keeps on maintaining the engagement to collaborate with architects, from Luca Meda, Michele De Lucchi, Anna Castelli Ferrieri, Paolo Nava to Fabrizio Ballardini, to international architects Tusquets Oscar, Burkhard Voghterr, Isao Hosoe.
arflex restarted the "experimentation-research" created by Zanuso-arflex in 1950 where the shape of the object was given by used materials and technologies, examples of this are the table designed by Stefano Gallizioli in 2002, its shape is bound to innovative registered technology for production and assemblage of the top; or the seats for airports designed by Mangiarotti in 1998, where the marble-base was produced with a new cutting technology. These products just remained prototypes, while shelves Live designed by Giuseppe Vigano in 2004 were put in production, the designer adapted the shape of the shelf to the utility-patent invented by the company.
Be sure to check arflex's production, we are sure that you'll find something for your office and home, no matter which style you prefer. ■