Vico Magistretti "Maralunga" Three-seater Sofa for Cassina, Sand Velvet, 1973

Design
1973

Manufacture
1970-1979

Location
Lonigo, IT

Vico Magistretti "Maralunga" three-seater sofa for Cassina, sand velvet, 1973.

The "Maralunga" three-seater sofa by Vico Magistretti is a renowned design for Cassina, created in 1973 and awarded the Compasso d'Oro in 1979. This sofa is celebrated as one of the most iconic pieces of Italian design. Known for its exceptional comfort and contemporary appeal, the Maralunga features adjustable headrests, allowing each backrest to transform independently from a low to a high position. This innovative mechanism, achieved by inserting a simple bicycle chain into the foam of the backrest, epitomizes the idea of brilliance and comfort.
The Maralunga's foldable backrest provides versatility, creating a high backrest for added comfort or a low profile for more open visual space. This design brilliance has earned it a place in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, affirming its status as a design classic. The sofa's structure consists of a tubular steel frame with a flexible plastic backrest, all covered with a single polyurethane foam and polyester wadding-padded mattress. The cushion covers, available in leather or fabric, are fully removable.
This discreet innovation led to the development of other notable sofas of the era, as anticipated by Joe Colombo's "Elda" or Gianfranco Frattini's "Sesann" and his contemporaries Afra and Tobia Scarpa with "Soriana" and Mario Bellini by designing the "Camaleonda".