Pink Genni chair by Zabro/Zanotta 1982

A very interesting limited edition of the Genni lounge chair, originally designed by Gabriele Mucchi in 1935 and re-edited by Zabro /Zanotta in Italy from 1982.

Design luminary Emilio Ambasz, in 1988, wrote that the history of Italian design “could not be written without Zanotta’s contribution.”

In the 1970s, Zanotta began to mine design history for important, boundary-breaking works that were no longer in production. After the succesful re-edition of the Mezzadro stool by Giacomo Castiglioni, Zanotta followed with more. In the ’80s, Aurelio Zanotta founded Zabro with Alessandro Mendini and Studio Alchimia, an experimental workshop aimed to conserve Italian craft heritage while exploring new design languages. To explore the essence and substance of a new contemporary conception. To establish what they called “Nuovo Design,” involved design concepts that embraced new technologies but that also incorporated a play with form and color that deviated from the pure functional focus of earlier modern designers”, as expressed by multifaceted architects such as Alessandro Mendini and Ettore Sottsass.
“Creating a series of possibilities gained by taking less travelled roads, to meet the requirements of everyday life, while offering amazement and smiles. Limited series, dedicated to those who know how to distinguish originality from replicas.

This limited early re-edition of the Genni chair with its pink enameled frame and red plastic seating appears to be a descendent of this experimental workshop. A new conception of a former design language, developed by taking a less travelled road in the use of materials. This pink-red chair is marked with a Zanotta label on the bottom of the frame with Nr. 000700. An early production.
The chair, originally designed by Gabriele Mucchi in 1935 has exactly the same features as the original.
A tubular metal lounge chair, made of bended steel tube, reclining on 2 positions, one deeper than the other.
In contrary to the original edition in the authentic materials chromed steel and black leather, the language of the 1930s rationalist design, this special edition of the chair comes in pink and red and in plastic.
The chair remains in good vintage condition with wear consistent with age and use to the upholstery. Unfortunately the headrest pillow of the chair is missing.

Gabriele Mucchi (1899-2002) was an Italian architect who played a lead part in the avant-garde movements in the 1930s. He had a creative and functional role in the Milanese group of Rationalist architects. In 1935 he designed and built two models of tubular metal lounge chairs; the Genni and the Susanna chair.