Cassina

Cassina: Italian design culture - timeless furniture icons since 1927

Cassina stands for Italian furniture design, craftsmanship and innovation. The Cassina portfolio combines timeless furniture design classics with contemporary furniture by designers of international renown to create high-quality and style-defining interiors. Founded in 1927 by Cesare and Umberto Cassina in the Italian city of Meda as "Amadeo Cassina", which over time was shortened to Cassina, the company initially concentrated on wooden tables and later also sofas and armchairs. All produced by hand to exacting Italian traditions and standards.

Esosoft bench with Esosoft sofas by Antonio Citterio, in front of Capitol Complex Armchairs by CRS Cassina

► CASSINA'S COLLABORATIONS WITH DESIGNERS
► WHERE AND HOW DOES CASSINA PRODUCE ITS FURNITURE?
► CASSINA COLLECTIONS: I MAESTRI AND CASSINA I CONTEMPORANEI
► REPRESENTATIVE FURNITURE DESIGN IN THE LUXURY SEGMENT: CASSINA LC FURNITURE AND YOU
► I CONTEMPORANEI: CONTEMPORARY CASSINA DESIGNS
► CASSINA AND SUSTAINABILITY
► CASSINA FURNITURE CONSULTATIONS WITH SMOW

Cassina's collaborations with designers

During the 1950s Cassina switched to industrial production and began to commission designers to design more expansive series. Gio Ponti, for example, furnished the first class of the legendary cruise ship Andrea Doria with Cassina produced designs, thus bequeathing the company a floating showroom in the early 1950s. Ponti's Superleggera chair, one of the icons of Italian design, was promoted by Cassina with the story that it was thrown out of a second floor window of the company headquarters, arrived at the bottom unscathed. And even bounced back. The early, close collaboration with designers and architects such as Gio Ponti and Vico Magistretti in combination with manual carpentry and technologically advanced machines is the basis for Cassina's success. A success, and a tradition, Cassina continues today through collaborations with designers and architects such as Zaha Hadid, Patricia Urquiola or Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec.

Where and how does Cassina produce its furniture?

Craftsmanship at the company headquarters in Meda: For over 90 years Cassina's high-quality design classics have been produced at the company headquarters in Meda. The workshop, originally founded by the brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina as "Cassina Amadeo - Fabbrica Tavolini" (factory for small tables), was expanded during the 1930s and updated with contemporary machines. Today traditional craftsmanship and modern technology unite in the production of Cassina furniture.

The Cassina portfolio

Upholstered furniture is an important part of the Cassina portfolio. From elegant individual pieces such as the Cassina Utrecht sofa by Gerrit Rietveld to extensive sofa landscapes such as Miloe by Piero Lissoni, which can be individually configured, Cassina sofas and armchairs stand for excellent design and masterful craftsmanship. The portfolio is completed by Cassina chairs, Cassina tables, Cassina storage furniture, Cassina beds, Cassina home accessories, Cassina lamps and a range of Cassina outdoor furniture.

Cassina Utrecht armchair

Although natural materials such as wood and leather are characterised by a high degree of individuality, thorough material testing guarantees a uniform standard that ensures that only the finest quality materials are used. Cassina upholstered furniture is produced at the company headquarters in Meda - the carpentry workshop is just a few minutes away by car - with all individual parts manufactured in series using the latest technology before being assembled and checked by hand.

The multifaceted Cassina portfolio: Behind the LC12 glass table by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, the upholstered Cab 413 chair with leather cover by Mario Bellini, in front the LC14 stool/side table by Le Corbusier

The Maralunga sofa by Vico Magistretti embodies an efficacious combination of design, entrepreneurial intuition and Italian craftsmanship. As an international bestseller, it is characterised by timeless aesthetics and functionality. The Met sofa by Cassina represents another design icon of the 90s; with its formal, clean and geometric aesthetic, it combines simple comfort, versatility and impeccable elegance in a remarkable way. This designer sofa is not only a timeless piece of furniture, but also a successful marriage of form and function. The sofa's modern, clean lines create a timeless balance that is both modern and inviting and fits effortlessly into a wide variety of living spaces. The Met Sofa is an expression of elegance and remains a striking example of the sophisticated design language of the 90s.

Cassina collections: I Maestri and Cassina I CONTEMPORANEI

Today Cassina's portfolio is divided into two signature collections, I Maestri the Cassina design classics on the one hand and I CONTEMPORANEI. contemporary Cassina furniture designs on the other.

Cassina I Maestri: Cassina design classics

The Cassina Maestri line has included key works and re-editions by important architects and designers in 20th century design history including the likes of, for example, by Charlotte Perriand, Pierre Jeanneret and Le Corbusier, Gerrit Rietveld or Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

The LC furniture collection by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand

At the end of the 1920s the avant-gardists Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand had a decisive influence on modern furniture design with their characteristic sofas and armchairs LC1, LC2 and LC3, the chaise longue LC4, the tables LC6 and LC10 and other designs. They countered the ornamental aesthetics of Art Deco with functionalist reduction and minimalist forms and thus contributed to the upheaval in design positions of the 20th century. Cassina planned the realisation of the LC furniture in collaboration with Le Corbusier and began production in the 1960s and since 1978 Cassina has been the only licensed manufacturer of LC furniture. Today the furniture in the LC collection shapes the image of the furniture manufacturer Cassina as a traditional company with innovative ideas.

Cassina LC4 chaise-longue

Representative furniture design in the luxury segment: Cassina LC furniture and you

Thanks to the iconic design, the timeless, radical aesthetics and high-quality materials such as leather and steel, the Cassina LC furniture collection is an ongoing international success in the luxury segment.

The Cassina sofas LC2 and LC3, for example, develop an elegant, representative quality on their own or in combination with the Cassina armchairs LC2 and LC3 and are therefore often used in upscale executive offices, institutions and lobbies. While the LC2 armchairs are the ideal furniture for a meeting situation in the executive office.

The chaise longue LC4, one of the most famous LC furniture designs, is a symbol of modern man with its machine-like appearance and is therefore particularly effective in large rooms with plenty of light and views. It is used, in particular, in private areas and its sculptural appearance embodies status and aesthetic know-how.

Zig-Zag chair and Red and Blue armchair

As much works of art as works of design: Gerrit Rietveld's "Zig Zag chair" from 1934 and the "Red and Blue" armchair from 1918. The two models are represented in the collection of the MoMA and the Vitra Design Museum, but smow brings them straight into your living room. Cassina has the exclusive manufacturing licenses for the Zig Zag chair and the Red and Blue armchair which it produces according to Rietveld's original designs.

I Contemporanei: Contemporary Cassina Designs

Cassina Contemporanei brings together works by designers who, from the 1950s onwards, transferred the legacy of Classical Modernism into the post-War context, to develop contemporary furniture designs and accessories. A particularly notable Cassina design classic from the second half of the 20th century is the Cassina Maralunga sofa, an international bestseller designed by Vigo Magistretti that Cassina has been producing since 1973.

With designers such as Philippe Starck, Jaime Hayon, Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, Zaha Hadid, Meret Oppenheim, and Patricia Urquiola, who has been Art Director at Cassina since 2015, the furniture company brings together the who's who of the international design scene.

100 years - Leading a legacy into the future

For a company with such an historic, significant and valuable heritage, it is a great challenge to preserve it without losing sight of the present. Or to put it in the words of Cassina CEO Gianluca Armento: “looking back to move forward”. It is precisely this combination of know-how, tradition, experimentation and innovative new ideas that has already been embodied in designs such as Tobia Scarpa's Ciprea armchair from 1968 or Philippe Starck's multifunctional Lazy Working Sofa from the 1990s.

Patricia Urquiola - Creative Director at Cassina

Patricia Urquiola, as Creative Director at Cassina, brings an avant-garde and innovative approach to her work. Her perfectionism is particularly evident in the design of classic, modular seating landscapes. Urquiola's newest collection, which focuses on sustainability and well-being, was presented as part of Cassina Perspectives and represents the addition of novel solutions for living and dining rooms to the company's holistic approach. In the I Maestri line Cassina is premiering re-editions by the Italian architect and designer Ico Parisi from the first half of the 20th century; in addition the company has launched Cassina Perspectives at Night, a new collection for the bedroom that includes furniture designs by Patricia Urquiola and Rodolfo Dordoni.

Cassina and Sustainability

As an internationally respected furniture manufacturer Cassina has consistently committed itself to the principle of sustainability. Through a holistic sustainability concept the company is actively committed to the responsible use of resources and relationships with people in various areas. Cassina not only strives to implement sustainability standards for itself, but also to bring about change and new opportunities in the entire furniture industry. Cassina has always relied on environmentally friendly materials and production processes to minimize its ecological footprint. Durable designs that are timeless and high quality make a decisive contribution to reducing consumption and the throwaway culture. Cassina also actively invests in innovative technologies to promote energy efficiency. Cassina's commitment to greater sustainability is documented in an annual sustainability report that is publicly available, and which contains information on aspects such as energy savings, certificates and the proportion of women in the company, which currently stands at 49 percent. Cassina also discloses the efforts it is making in terms of sustainable logistics and waste and water management.

Cassina furniture consultations with smow

Cassina in smow Stores

Looking for representative furniture that embodies the highest quality and reliable quality? Cassina furniture is the perfect choice for upscale offices, lobbies and lounges in law firms, real estate companies, doctor's offices or art institutions or for furnishing spacious private living spaces.

Should you require material samples of a very specific Cassina furniture object or be in search of individual furniture planning, simply contact us either through our smow online shop or in our smow stores where you can experience, and try out, many Cassina collections. Our experienced design and furnishing experts will be happy to advise you on the choice of furniture and provide competent support in the implementation of your interior design concept. Visit us and let yourself be inspired. We look forward to welcoming you!