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Tobia Scarpa

Tobia Scarpa is an Italian architect and designer born in 1935 in Venice, son of the great Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa. With his wife Afra Bianchin Scarpa (1937-2011), also an architect, he formed in the 1960s-1980s one of the most prolific creative couples in Italian design, signing over a hundred editions for Flos, Cassina, B&B Italia, Knoll, Maxalto, and other Italian houses. Their pieces — Biagio marble lamp, Soriana sofa, Coronado collection — have become references of post-Castiglioni Italian design. LAPIERRE sources and authenticates vintage Scarpa editions.

Training and Tobia & Afra duo

Tobia Scarpa was raised in a dense architectural atmosphere — his father Carlo Scarpa is one of the most respected 20th-century Venetian architects (Tomba Brion, Castelvecchio Verona, Querini Stampalia). Tobia followed studies at IUAV (Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia), where he met Afra Bianchin, an architecture student like him. The couple married and began working together in the late 1950s, signing together the majority of their pieces — it is rare and difficult to distinguish their respective contributions.

For Flos — the golden age of Castiglioni then Scarpa

Flos was co-founded in 1962 by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, but the Scarpas brought from 1961-1968 several signature pieces. Tobia Scarpa alone signed the Fantasma lamp in 1961, one of the first Flos editions. But it was the Biagio lamp (1968) that marks history: a monolith carved from a single block of white Carrara marble, with no edge transitions, no welds, no additional pieces. The carving process is technically demanding — each Biagio requires several hours of milling and polishing. The result: a sculptural lamp that becomes one of the most sought-after collector pieces in the Flos catalogue.

Other Scarpa pieces for Flos followed: Papillona (1975), Pierrot, and several rarer 1970s-80s lamps. The Scarpa period at Flos corresponds to the transition between the Castiglionis (who dominated the catalogue until 1968 with Pier Giacomo's death) and the next generation of designers.

For Cassina and B&B Italia — sculptural furniture

For B&B Italia (then C&B Italia, founded in 1966), Tobia & Afra Scarpa signed the Coronado collection (1966) — armchairs and sofas with moulded foam structure dressed in leather or fabric, without visible metal frame. It is one of the first pieces that defines the B&B language: moulded foam as sculptural matter.

For Cassina, they signed chair 121 known as Soriana (1969) — a chrome steel ring that pinches a foam mass, sculptural and comfortable at once. The piece received the Compasso d'Oro 1970, and remains one of the signature pieces of the Cassina catalogue. The Bastiano sofa (1962, designed by Tobia alone) precedes Soriana in the Cassina catalogue.

For Maxalto, Knoll, Molteni

The Scarpas also signed for Maxalto (B&B Italia's high-end subsidiary) several precious-wood furniture pieces in the 1970s-80s. For Knoll: a few seats and tables in the 1970s. For Molteni: beds and wardrobes in the 1980s. The couple continued designing after Afra's death in 2011 — Tobia, now alone, dedicates himself primarily to architecture.

Recognising the authentic

Biagio (Flos): Carrara marble with natural grey-black veining, precise curved form, Flos + Made in Italy marking engraved or screen-printed on base. Weight ~8 kg. Copies use reconstituted marble, lighter, with no marking.

Soriana (Cassina): period Cassina marking under sofa or armchair. Bright chromed steel ring of single curved piece. Cassina-signed leather inside. Non-Cassina copies use a ring welded in multiple pieces.

Coronado (B&B Italia): B&B Italia or C&B Italia marking (depending on era) under the piece. Moulded foam single piece, no metal frame. Leather or fabric signed B&B.

Market and prices

  • Biagio lamp: 1,500-3,500 EUR vintage depending on marble condition.
  • Fantasma: 800-1,800 EUR vintage.
  • Soriana armchair: 2,500-4,500 EUR vintage.
  • Soriana sofa: 4,000-7,000 EUR vintage.
  • Coronado armchair: 1,800-3,500 EUR vintage.
  • Coronado sofa: 3,500-6,500 EUR vintage.

LAPIERRE process for this signature

Sourcing primarily in Italy (Lombardy, Veneto, Piedmont) from specialised antique dealers and estates. Authentication via marking, marble quality (Biagio), chrome (Soriana), moulded foam (Coronado). Limited restoration: cleaning, recovering if foam is too worn. Original chrome preserved except in case of accident — it has a depth that reissues do not reproduce.

Request a search

If you're looking for a specific Scarpa piece (Biagio in good condition, Soriana pair in cognac leather, complete Coronado), contact us.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Who is Tobia Scarpa?
Tobia Scarpa (born 1935 in Venice) is an Italian architect and designer, son of architect Carlo Scarpa. Graduate of IUAV in Venice in 1969, he began designing objects in the late 1950s, often in collaboration with his wife Afra Bianchin Scarpa (1937-2011), also an architect. The Tobia & Afra duo signed for B&B Italia (then C&B Italia) the Coronado collection (1966), for Cassina the chair 121 known as Soriana (1969), and for Flos several emblematic pieces including the Biagio lamp (1968) in Carrara marble. Over a hundred editions at Knoll, B&B Italia, Cassina, Flos, Stildomus, Maxalto, Gavina, and Molteni. Compasso d'Oro 1970 for Soriana.
How do I authenticate a Biagio lamp by Flos?
The Biagio lamp (1968) is a monolith carved from a single block of Carrara marble, making it a technically complex piece to manufacture. An authentic Biagio presents: white Carrara marble with natural grey-black veining (each piece is unique), precise curved form without sharp edges, Flos + Made in Italy marking engraved or screen-printed on the base, original transformer. Copies often use reconstituted marble, more pronounced edges, and have no Flos marking. The weight — about 8 kg for an authentic Biagio — is an additional indicator (copies are lighter).
Which Tobia Scarpa pieces do you source?
Our sourcing favours authenticated editions: for Flos — Fantasma (1961, first Flos edition), Biagio (1968, Carrara marble monolith), Papillona, Pierrot; for Cassina — chair 121 Soriana (1969), Bastiano sofa, Andrè table; for B&B Italia — Coronado (1966); for Maxalto / Knoll — seating and tables from the 1970s-90s. Pieces from the 1960s-70s, the most creative period of the Scarpa couple, are the most collectable.
Vintage Soriana vs Cassina reissue — what's the difference?
The Soriana sofa (chair 121, 1969) has been edited by Cassina since its release. Vintage pieces from 1969-1985 bear the period Cassina marking and use leathers or fabrics from original suppliers. The structure — bright chromed steel forming a ring that pinches the foam — is identical between vintage and reissue, but period chrome is deeper. A vintage Soriana in original cognac leather positions between 3,500 and 6,000 EUR, compared to 8,000+ EUR for a new reissue. Armchair + sofa pairs are particularly sought-after.
How is a Scarpa piece delivered?
Pieces depend on the model. A Biagio lamp (8 kg of marble) requires a wooden crate and careful delivery — marble cracks at the slightest lateral impact. A Soriana or Coronado sofa is heavy (40-80 kg) and bulky. For Paris and Île-de-France, delivery in our internal van. For France and Europe, specialised carrier. All lighting pieces are electrically verified and brought to European standards before delivery. Typical delays: 7 to 14 days.