Venice, Rome, Milan, Verona... when the country itself is a work of art, creating a piece of furniture that does not meet such high standards is almost criminal! Italian brands understand this truth like no other, so local factory interiors will honor not only your home but any contemporary art museum. Despite this, the post-war years were very difficult for the Italian furniture industry. The factories mainly produced interior objects in a classical style, of little interest to the public. Additionally, Scandinavian design began to gain popularity, which led to increased imports, decreased exports, and overall a decadent mood. But for a long time Italians did not know how to do anything wrong: they were open to new experiments, they took risks and created a new aesthetic. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Cassina is one of those brands that stands out. It is the legendary brand in the field of high-quality Italian furniture and one of the ten most important designer furniture brands in the world which has declared its uniqueness and excellent quality since its inception. The Cassina brand embodies the history of classic furniture, whose pillars are the most famous names in the world, such as Gaetano Pesce, Achille Castiglioni, Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Frank Lloyd Wright. The 20th century furniture from this manufacturer has become an icon of style and is produced in limited editions for the elite. Current, elegant and non-trivial. With Cassina furniture you can't see banality! Each piece of furniture resembles a multifunctional contemporary work of art. The factory production combines the dynamics of the lines, lightness and versatility. The furniture is comfortable and practical, it not only fits into the interior, but flirts with it, revealing new shades of familiar to the last centimeter of the room. If you don't know the stereotypes, let me tell you that the concept of the "best furniture of Italy” - does not end with the label "made in Italy". So clarify the impression of this - in the Cassina company catalog you will certainly find something for you, your home and personal inspirations world of furniture design begins as hundreds and thousands of other stories before and after them. In 1927 the brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina founded the company called “Amedeo Cassina” in the city of Meda in the province of Monza-e-Brianza. It began its activity as an insignificant carpentry shop specializing in wooden furniture: good quality, high quality, but not very interesting. Everything changed dramatically in the post-war years: the company began to cooperate with the brightest, eminent and the best. among the best designers and architects of the time. Franco Cassina continued the work of the company's founders but made some changes and modifications to the basic concept of the company based on his own ideas. It seemed incredibly boring to produce traditional home furniture, which was not distinguished by a particular variety of styles and shapes compared to other furniture of that time. Therefore, he decided to modernize not only production, but also to rethink the attitude towards furniture design in general. The young and ambitious director of Casinna believed that the future of the furniture industry lay in original and non-standard designs, which would give a special flavor to the interiors of each building. After World War II, the company developed by leaps and bounds. Focusing on unique design and high quality products - Franco Cassina was not wrong or wrong, as if he had the ability to predict the future. Cassina products eventually received theworldwide recognition. Cassina had begun collaborating with designers who were inspired by the owners' innovative approach. They used only high-quality materials; such as: high quality wood, natural leather and authentic stones. The company itself and its owners have always supported and worked side by side with the majesties and patriarchs of Italian design. The company has always supported and entertained this extraordinary dialogue about the “triple unity” through research, creation and improvement of new mass production methods and innovative design of the highest level with designers and architects. One of the first was Franco Albini. In 1948 he designed the Cassina mod.430 chair. Their strict, simple and natural forms looked truly fresh and technologically new. With this exact name begins the list of eminent masters in the field of furniture design with whom the company has been fortunate enough to collaborate. At that time, designers such as Philippe Starck, Piero Lissoni, Alessandro Mendini, Gio Ponti, Vico Magistretti, Ico Parisi and many other talented craftsmen collaborated with the company. A separate story is the collection of masters and founders of the iMaestri school of modern design. In one brand you can see that the brightest ideas of the creative people of the 19th and 20th centuries are united: Frank Lloyd Wright, Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand, Erik Gunnar Asplund - these are not even half of the names that worked with the legendary furniture brand. Cassina has managed to give the world unique pieces of Italian furniture, which have become a symbol of creative research and innovative solutions, and which in addition to being bold and original. Since then Cassina has expanded production, starting to produce furniture for airliners, hotels and many other public spaces, but above all it is moving towards innovation and moving in the same direction as Italian and global design. The Cassina world reflects the path of an intuitive and far-sighted company, which was the first to open the era of industrial design in Italy in the 1950s, marking the transition from artisanal to serial production. A company that has always been able to anticipate the times with a pioneering attitude, reaching the point of involving the most renowned designers and architects in the creation of new forms that illustrate the multiple inspirations and influences of contemporary design. Research, manual knowledge and technological development come together in the various proposals dedicated to the home and the furnishing of large-scale architectural spaces, embracing a philosophy of passion and perfection that reveals all its excellence in the creation of designer furniture characterized by comfortable lines, essential, flexible and surprisingly innovative lines. In a continuous comparison between past, present and future, the company presents to the world the great classics of the greatest architects of the twentieth century, re-editing the icons of modernity in the I Maestri and LC Collection collections, founded on the accuracy and respect of the initials of the projects . The expressions that have contributed to the evolution of design from the 1950s to today come to life in the I Contemporanei collection, in which the iconic Made in Italy models discover new interpretations and declinations within different habitats. Finally, Cassina's experimental approach emerges, with significant planning, in the Simon Collection, composed of the most emblematic objects of the relationship between culture and industry in Italian design. Cassina furnishing innovations reflect the continuous evolution of the Made in Meda offer and are presented every year at the IMM international fair in Cologne and at the Salone del Mobile in Milan, in warm and enveloping environments in line with the image and atmospheres of the single-brand stores. The new products highlight a company's contemporary philosophy and sense of anticipationwhich always looks ahead while respecting its origins, the authenticity of its projects and its relationship with architecture, building a constant dialogue between past, present and future. Cassina design containers, chairs, armchairs and sofas make up elegant and versatile furnishing systems, which in addition to enriching and updating the iconic pieces of the LC Collection and the I Maestri Collection, include the modernist forms of the Simon Collection and the extraordinary expressions of the I Contemporary Collection. The signatures of the major exponents of international design and architecture include, among others, Patricia Urquiola - artistic director of Cassina -, Piero Lissoni, Philippe Starck, Patrick Norguet, Jaime Hayon, Patrick Jouin, Rowan and Erwan Bouroullec and Konstantin Grcic . It is a unique and diverse sequence that underlines the fundamental balance between comfort, aesthetics and function, as well as the indissoluble connection between artisan tradition and technological progress. Designer furniture that stands out and lives in the environment both individually and through easy combinations based on different decorative tastes and constantly evolving lifestyles. The co-authorsIt was in 1922 that Le Corbusier opened his architectural studio in rue de Sèvres, collaborating with his cousin, Pierre Jeanneret. The deep understanding between the two leads them to conduct numerous research, projects and creations together. In October 1927 they decided to make use of the contribution of Charlotte Perriand, a young architect who already enjoyed a certain notoriety at the time. Their partnership will last until 1937 and will prove extremely fruitful, especially with regards to the implementation of innovative projects, which will translate into real successes in the business plan. However, due to the productive contribution promoted by Cassina, an interest persists both in the conceptual sphere and in the quality achieved and there is an ever-increasing expectation on each object included in the collection. Le Corbusier (1887 - 1955) Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, known as Le Corbusier, was born in La Chaux-de Fonds, Switzerland, in 1887, and died in France, in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, in 1965. Considered the man of century for his idea of ​​living, between traditional and innovative interiors, and for his famous, multifaceted and diversified architectural production, Le Corbusier is an undisputed point of reference for the culture of international design. Its aim is to seek aesthetic values ​​starting from the new materials made available by the industry. The Maestro accepts the challenge and applies the rationalism of architecture to furnishings. An original and sustainable thought, capable of governing the effects of modernity. His work, in the early days, hindered by his presumed "revolution" and by the radicalism born from "purist" experiences, with the maturation of the times has had and continues to have the right recognition. In his activity as an urban planner, architect and designer, his research method, in a continuous process of evolution, sometimes also touches the opposite extremes of a conspicuous plastic language. Evidence of this is the residential unit in Marseille (1946-52), the Chapel of Notre-Dame du Haut in Ronchamp (1950-55), the Dominican Convent "La Tourette" in Eveux (1951-56), the Pavillon de the Homme in Zurich (1964-65), the project for the Venice Hospital (1965). The same commitment is found in the design of the numerous furnishings, such as the furniture of the Equipment intérieur de la Maison (tables, chairs, armchairs, sofas) designed for the Salon d'Automne of 1928, together with Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand and Cashiers Standard ", a system of container furniture designed for the Esprit Nouveau Pavilion in 1925, in collaboration with Pierre Jeanneret. Since the 1950s, Le Corbusier has concentrated his research on wood, a material which, after years of experimentation with tubular metal , usedespecially in artistic maturity in a newfound closeness to nature, directing production towards elementary forms and archetypal objects.Jeanneret (1886 - 1967) Graduated from the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Geneva, Pierre Jeanneret was an architect, designer and urban planner. His name and his work are inextricably linked to that of his famous cousin Charles-Edouard Jeanneret, known as Le Corbusier, of whom he was a partner from 1922 to 1940. He was co-author of most of the projects and creations before the Second World War, including including Villa La Roche in Paris, currently home to the Le Corbusier Foundation, and the famous "Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand" furnishings. At the beginning of the 1950s, at the request of Le Corbusier, he moved to India to build the new capital of Pendjab, Chandigarh, of which he became the leader until 1966. Chandigarh became one of the main references of modern architecture and urban planning. If the celebrity of Chandigarh bears the imprint of Le Corbusier, the qualities of this capital can be attributed both to the genius of the latter and that of Pierre Jeanneret.Perriand (1903 - 1999) Charlotte Perriand is a full member of that avant-garde culture which since the first decades of the twentieth century has promoted a profound renewal of aesthetic values, and has given rise to a truly modern sensitivity to daily living. In this context, his specific contribution focuses on the spaces of interior architecture, conceived as the engine of a new way of living, which is still at the center of the contemporary lifestyle. In the field of the history of twentieth-century furniture, the advent of modernity was made possible by the intriguing audacity of this true reformer of interior architecture. Early in his career he was critically acclaimed for his Bar under the Roof, exhibited at the 1927 Salon d'Automne, entirely constructed of nickel-plated copper and anodized aluminium. In the same year, at just twenty-four years old, he began a ten-year collaboration with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, at the famous atelier of 35, rue de Sèvres in Paris. Her presence in Le Corbusier's atelier is visible in all the furnishings designed with these and Pierre Jeanneret: Charlotte Perriand becomes a cornerstone of the renewal project promoted by the architect, adding, in particular, a dimension of humanity to the sometimes cold rationalism by Le Corbusier. In his projects he manages to animate the fundamental objects of everyday life with new aesthetic values: in particular, his talent and intuition in the discovery and use of new materials are manifested in their full extent. The ten-year collaboration with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret and the Japanese experience represent moments of intense creative effervescence in the artist's life. During his long stay in the Far East ('40 -'46), he was able to fully reveal his talent as an artist, through a reinterpretation of the reality of living that resonates with tradition and modernity: the furnishings produced with the ancient bamboo processing techniques, capable of enhancing the new shapes already tested with steel tubes. Subsequently, his professional activity focused on a series of original and balanced productions, commissioned by first-rate organizations and companies, such as Air France, as well as numerous foreign institutions, testifying to a reputation that has now acquired an international dimension . The characteristic that characterizes Charlotte Perriand's personality is an honest fidelity to the principles of a human and innovative rationalism, which she was able to keep intact in her works, on which she worked with passion, also with a view to their re-edition in the “Cassina” series Teachers”. Cassina, today part of the Poltrona Frau Group, is one of the oldest companies in theItalian design, with a very special history and designers that place it among the most interesting companies for research, quality and rigor. It all began in Meda, Brianza, in 1927 with the brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina. Ma had to wait for the great crisis, and then the war, to pass to make the leap in scale and quality. The opportunity to move from the laboratory to industry came with the commissions for the first large cruise ships. For the transatlantic Andrea Doria, (1953), the company produced 500 pieces and created magnificent environments, the first class reading room, the library, the dining room. It is precisely in the work for ships that Cassina meets Gio Ponti, the architect who will mark the company's turning point. His first chair, 646, or the Light, is produced in thousands of pieces for restaurants and public spaces. The product is a success. Turnovers are growing. But Ponti is still not satisfied and Cassina provides him with the best craftsmen in the market. Ponti worked on the chair, lightening its structure until he created the legendary Superleggera. It weighs 1.66 kg. And what's more, it's indestructible. The year was 1957. Since then, the rise of Cassina has been a well-known story that reaches up to the present day, with contemporary designers such as Mario Bellini, Andrea Branzi, Achille Castiglioni, Paolo Deganello, Rodolfo Dordoni, Vico Magistretti, Alessandro Mendini, Massimo Morozzi, Afra and Tobia Scarpa, Ettore Sottsass, to which are added other professions: Philippe Starck, Piero Lissoni, Hannes Wettstein, Jorge Pensi, Jehs + Laub, Patrick Jouin and Jean Marie Massaud, while the name of Cassina is also distinguished by a philological work of rediscovery and production of pieces by historical masters from Le Corbusier to Gerrit T. from Rietveld to Frank Lloyd Wright, to the Italian Franco Albini. The challenge today is to maintain quality and specificity in a period of difficult and highly competitive markets even outside Europe. What is the point of this company closing its 2009 financial statements with 101,240 million euros in revenues, down 14% compared to 2008, mainly due to the crisis in the US and South American markets, while holding firm on the Asian and South American markets? Oceania and grew by 18% in Japan? The watchword of Gianluca Armento, brand director of Cassina, is authenticity which refers first of all to the protection of the company's identity, marked by ambitious design projects and products that have entered the empyrean of the history of design: "In this In this year of crisis we took the opportunity to take stock of the situation to understand its strengths and weaknesses." Armento explains: "Cassina has outlined a new industry model, capable of bringing very different personalities together , from Gaetano Pesce to Piero Lissoni, to give an example, and bring them back to the same design logic, from which the objects belong to the same order that derives from the search for quality, from precise controls on materials, techniques and performances research for quality, to the point of inventing new types of furniture that impact contemporary behavior and lifestyles”. For Piero Lissoni, Cassina is a dream, it is the rigor of design. What remains of the old Ponti company? «Everything remains - explains Lissoni - the spirit of research remains from the project to every detail, there is surprising research, both in the contemporary and historical context, it is a clear, precise brand, with an unmistakable line». Lissoni has just returned the “National Theatre” to the city of Milan after an important redevelopment project, while his latest project is being delivered to the Arlov Hotel in Jerusalem “Now that access to research is open to all, the difference it lies in the choice; then a line is born, an identity, an alphabet, which in this case is expressed in a high market segment" Cesare Cassina's flash of genius came at the beginning of the 1920s: craftsmanship had to.