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Description
Visionnaire reactivates its historical archive, reintroducing into the collection two iconic 1970s armchairs by its parent company IPE, displayed in the Wunderkammer inside the showroom in Piazza Cavour. Under the sign of Déjà-vu, the project reawakens a historical lexicon, reaffirming its contemporary relevance and continuity of identity. Bachi and Cigno — reissued through a technical update that is almost invisible yet substantial — reveal themselves as forms already contemporary. Their proportions, enveloping lines and immersive concept of comfort express a sensibility capable of transcending time. With Déjà-vu, the archive becomes a tool for research and design, able to nourish the present through an active memory.
The Cigno armchair, designed by Vittorio Varo in the late 1960s, represents one of the most refined expressions of the experimental phase of Italian design during that period. Defined by a fluid, enveloping silhouette, the seat unfolds as a single continuous volume, with no visual interruption between backrest and upholstered base. Its ascending, harmonious curvilinear profile subtly recalls the elegance of a swan, translating into form the plastic tension characteristic of organic modernism. The lower structure in chromed tubular metal creates a sharp and sophisticated contrast with the soft body of the armchair. This dialogue between mass and lightness, craftsmanship and industry, is emblematic of late 1960s Italian design — a period marked by the introduction of polyurethane foam and a new expressive freedom in upholstered forms. Conceived as a lounge chair, Cigno moves beyond pure functionality to assume a sculptural and identity-defining role. It is a piece that shapes space with authority, capable of integrating seamlessly into a variety of settings. More than fifty years later, Cigno retains its formal strength, standing as a significant testament to the excellence of Italian design in the second half of the twentieth century.
