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Vico Magistretti (1920-2006)

Vico Magistretti remains one of the Italian architects and designers whose writing durably structured Milanese design from the 1960s to the 1990s. An architect by training, professor at the Politecnico di Milano then at the Royal College of Art in London, he delivered at Cassina, Oluce, Artemide, De Padova, Campeggi, and Kartell a dense corpus where several pieces (Atollo, Maralunga, Selene, Eclisse, Carimate) received the major distinctions of Italian design (two Compasso d'Oro, in 1967 for the Eclisse lamp and in 1979 for the Atollo lamp). The LAPIERRE selection gathers authenticated Magistretti pieces, with systematic mention of editor, decade, and finish.

Biographical landmarks

Lodovico Magistretti, known as Vico, was born in 1920 in Milan into a family of architects (his father Pier Giulio Magistretti was an architect). He studied at the architecture faculty of the Politecnico di Milano, graduating in 1945, just after the end of the war. He immediately joined his father's studio and began practising as an architect in Milan.

From 1948-1950 onward, Magistretti participated actively in the post-war reconstruction of Milan. He signed the QT8 district (1947-1955) with other Milanese architects, then the Torre al Parco (1953-1956), the Santa Maria Nascente church in Cesate (1956), the Casa Arosio in Arenzano (1959-1960), the Touring Club Italiano building (1956-1962). This architectural practice, which lasted his whole life alongside design, explains the dimensional rigour that imbues his furniture.

Design entered his catalogue in 1959 with the Carimate chair for Cassina, red lacquered wood structure and woven straw seat. This first piece opened a more-than-thirty-year collaboration with Cassina, where he would notably deliver the Maralunga armchair (1973), the 905 chair (1964), the Sindbad chair (1981), the Veranda sofa (1983), and a Cab variant. The Maralunga won the Compasso d'Oro 1979.

At Artemide, Magistretti delivered the Selene chair (1969), the first single-piece stackable Italian plastic chair, as well as the Eclisse lamp (1965, Compasso d'Oro 1967) and the Chimera lamp. At Oluce, his collaboration began in 1977 with the Atollo lamp, which won the Compasso d'Oro 1979 and became one of the most reproduced Italian lamps in the world. The Mezzoracolo, Snow, and Pascal lamps followed. At De Padova, he signed the Raffles sofa (1988) and the Toledo beds. At Campeggi and Kartell, he developed other pieces in the 1990s-2000s.

Magistretti taught throughout his career. He was a professor at the Politecnico di Milano then at the Royal College of Art in London in the 1980s-1990s, where he trained a generation of European designers. He died in 2006 in Milan. A foundation, the Fondazione Studio Museo Vico Magistretti, was created in 2010 and today preserves his archives in Milan.

Signature pieces we source

Atollo (1977, Oluce). Table lamp with cylindrical aluminium base and hemispherical sitting diffuser. Three finishes: white lacquer, black lacquer, gold (limited edition). Compasso d'Oro 1979. Still edited by Oluce. Vintage 1977-1995 pieces quoted higher.

Maralunga (1973, Cassina). Armchair and sofa with manually folding adjustable backrest, high-density polyether foam, Tonus Kvadrat or velvet fabric. Compasso d'Oro 1979. Iconic piece of the 1970s Italian living room.

Carimate (1959, Cassina). Chair with red lacquered wood structure and woven straw seat, originally designed for the Carimate golf club. Reissued by Cassina in several colours.

Selene (1969, Artemide then Heller). First single-piece stackable Italian plastic chair. Original colours: white, red, black, green, orange. Original Artemide vintage pieces distinct from recent Heller productions.

Eclisse (1965, Artemide). Table lamp in orange or white lacquered aluminium, with rotating internal diffuser that modulates lighting. Compasso d'Oro 1967. Iconic piece of 1960s Italian design.

Mezzoracolo (1970, Oluce). Lamp with conical base and opal hemispherical diffuser. A rarer Atollo variant, a collector piece.

Chimera (1969, Artemide). Sculptural floor lamp in moulded methacrylate. A rare sculptural piece in limited production.

Sindbad (1981, Cassina). Armchair and sofa with tubular structure and cushions, inspired by English horse blankets. Less iconic but a clear Magistretti signature.

Veranda (1983, Cassina). Sofa with adjustable backrest, later than the Maralunga, different technical structure. Limited production.

Authentic vs reissue vs homage

The Magistretti market separates three levels by editor. The vintage piece stamped by its original editor (Cassina, Oluce, Artemide, De Padova, Campeggi, Kartell) with dating by stamp typology and finish. Highest quotation. The recent reissue, in particular the Atollo at Oluce and the Maralunga at Cassina, marked explicitly with contemporary finish. Intermediate quotation. The unauthorised copy, particularly present on the Atollo, which is one of the most copied Italian lamps in the world, sold online without a stamp. LAPIERRE never lists copies; every piece listed carries its verified editor stamp.

LAPIERRE process for Vico Magistretti pieces

Three stages structure expertise. Identification of the editor via the engraved, glued, or moulded stamp (Cassina, Oluce, Artemide, De Padova, Campeggi, Kartell). Dating by stamp typology and finish (original aluminium paint for the Atollo, period Cassina fabrics for the Maralunga). Detailed photographic documentation. Cross-referencing with Cassina, Oluce archives, and the Fondazione Studio Museo Vico Magistretti in Milan.

Request a Vico Magistretti piece

For a specific search (limited-edition gold Atollo, pair of vintage Maralunga in red velvet, set of six original-white Selene Artemide chairs), write to us. LAPIERRE activates its Italian network specialised in Milanese design, on a four-to-twelve-week horizon depending on rarity.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How do you authenticate a vintage Atollo Oluce lamp?
An authentic Atollo Magistretti carries an Oluce label or stamp under the cylindrical aluminium-painted base. The hemispherical diffuser in methacrylate or lacquered metal (depending on edition) sits on the base via a precise centring system. 1977-1990 pieces carry a glued paper label, those from the 2000s onward an engraved metal plate. Three finishes structure the market: white lacquer, black lacquer, gold (the latter a limited edition). LAPIERRE cross-references label, paint quality, and centring precision. The Atollo won the Compasso d'Oro 1979 and remains one of the most copied Italian lamps in the world.
Which Magistretti pieces are most sought after?
Several pieces structure Magistretti quotations. The Atollo lamp (1977, Oluce) remains the absolute icon, in white, black, or gold. The Maralunga armchair (1973, Cassina), with its manually folding adjustable backrest, is one of the most iconic Italian living-room pieces. The Carimate chair (1959, Cassina), red lacquered wood structure and woven straw seat, opens the catalogue. The Selene chair (1969, Artemide), the first stackable single-piece plastic chair, is a collector item. The Maui chair (1996, Kartell), later, is more accessible. The Eclisse lamp (1965, Artemide) in orange or white lacquered aluminium completes the lighting catalogue.
What is the difference between vintage Maralunga and recent Cassina reissue?
The Maralunga has been edited continuously by Cassina since 1973 and won the Compasso d'Oro 1979. 1973-1990 pieces use original high-density polyether foam, period Tonus Kvadrat or velvet that have become scarce, and an original manual tilt mechanism. More recent reissues use the same techniques with finish evolutions. Vintage quotation remains higher than new for pieces with original label and well-preserved period fabric. LAPIERRE always indicates the estimated decade and fabric quality on each listing.
Why is the Maralunga considered iconic?
The Maralunga (1973, Cassina) rests on a simple conceptual innovation. The backrest, generally fixed on contemporary Italian sofas, can be manually tilted forward to provide an additional headrest. This dual position, low backrest for conversation, high backrest for reading or napping, anticipates current research on modular and adaptive furniture. The Compasso d'Oro 1979 awarded to the Maralunga is documented in the ADI (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale) archives. This ergonomic innovation, paired with a dense and comfortable silhouette, durably separates the Maralunga from the rest of Cassina's 1970s catalogue.
Did Vico Magistretti work as an architect?
Yes, Vico Magistretti was first and foremost an architect before being a designer. A graduate of the Politecnico di Milano in 1945, he signed between 1948 and 1990 about fifty buildings in Italy, including the QT8 district in Milan (1947-1955), the Torre al Parco in Milan (1953-1956), the Santa Maria Nascente church in Cesate (1956), and the Casa Arosio in Arenzano (1959-1960). This architectural practice, parallel to his design work, imbues his furniture with a dimensional rigour and a grid attention that distinguish his pieces. Magistretti taught at the Politecnico di Milano and the Royal College of Art in London.
Who are Magistretti's historical editors?
Vico Magistretti edited his pieces primarily at Cassina (Carimate chair, Maralunga armchair, Tor table) where he had a more-than-thirty-year historical collaboration, at Oluce (Atollo, Mezzoracolo, Snow lamps), at Artemide (Selene chair, Eclisse lamp, Chimera lamp), at De Padova (Raffles sofa, Toledo beds), at Campeggi (Asnago chair, Tagliatella bed), and at Kartell (Maui chair, Mauna table). This multi-editor distribution reflects the classic 1960s-1990s Milanese practice. LAPIERRE always identifies the original editor on each listing.
Why is the Selene chair historic?
The Selene chair (1969, Artemide) is documented as one of the world's first single-piece stackable plastic chairs. Magistretti designed it with a structure entirely moulded in fibreglass-reinforced polyester, with no assembly. This piece, contemporary with Verner Panton's and Joe Colombo's research in moulded plastic, marked the entry of Italian industrial design into the single-piece plastic language. Available in white, red, black, green, orange depending on edition, the Selene is still edited by Heller (which took over Artemide production). Original Artemide vintage pieces are distinct.