Pair of P103 Armchairs with Footrests

Osvaldo Borsani’s pair of P103 armchairs with footrests was designed for Tecno in 1965. The set includes two swivel and rocking lounge chairs with matching footrests, each built with wood structures and velvet upholstery. The chairs retain the manufacturer’s labels and are documented in Giampiero Bosoni’s Tecno: L’eleganza discreta della tecnica, published by Skira in 2011.

1965
Wood structures
Velvet upholstery
Pair of swivel and rocking armchairs with footrests
Manufacturer’s labels
Armchairs: 32.3" H × 34.6" W × 32.3" D
Footrests: 14.9" H × 26" W × 22" D
(82 cm H × 88 cm W × 82 cm D)
(38 cm H × 66 cm W × 56 cm D)

About the Maker
Osvaldo Borsani (1911–1985) was an Italian architect, designer and entrepreneur, and one of the important figures in the rise of modern Italian design. Born in Varedo into a family of furniture makers, he studied fine arts at the Brera Academy and architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, graduating in 1936. Borsani’s career moved between hand craftsmanship, architecture and industrial design. His early work with Arredamenti Borsani Varedo shows the refined, custom-made side of Italian furniture before the postwar design boom. In 1953, he co-founded Tecno with his brother Fulgenzio, a company that became central to Italian modern design.