DS 206 Armchairs in Leather by Paolo Piva for de Sede, 1990s, Set of 2

Born in Adria near Venice in 1950, Paolo Piva is one of the most prominent Italian architect-designers of the late 20th century. Over the course of his career, he has created seating, casegoods, kitchens, and more for major European design brands while making a significant contribution to the field of architecture in Venice and Vienna.  

Piva studied architecture and visual arts at the IUAV (Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia) under Carlo Scarpa. His thesis, Social Housing in Vienna from 1918 to 1934, is the first indication of Piva’s interest in the Austrian capital, a fascination that continued throughout his life. In 1975, Piva worked for Venice's Institute of History & Architecture (Istituto di storia e architettura di Venetia), assisting in the curation of an important exhibition on the same subject as his thesis, architecture in Vienna during the socialist period, in collaboration with the Viennese Academy of Applied Arts (Akademie Der Angewandten Kunst). This exhibition lead to Red Vienna, a similar exhibition in Rome in 1980.

From the 1970s onward, Piva collaborated with various manufacturers, including B&B Italia, Burelli Cucine, Dada, de Sede, Fama, Giovannetti, Lumenform, Mobel Italia, Poliform, Team 7, Thonet, and Wittmann. His most collectible design is the Alanda Table for B&B Italia, a minimal, geometric coffee table featuring a glass surface over inverted, metal pyramids. Produced in small numbers, the elegant Alanda has been the subject of many copies and reproductions; the unmarked models are notoriously difficult to authenticate. The leather Arca Sofa for B&B Italia (1985) and the Aura Chair for Wittmann (1983)—recipient of the Upholstered Furniture Design Award in 1993—are among his most famous seating collections. Recent designs include the Athos Table (2012), Andy Sofa (2013), and Area Table (2013) in production by B&B Italia.

Paolo Piva’s architectural and interior design portfolio includes the Kuwait Embassy in Qatar (1980), the renovation of Palazzo Remer in Venice (1986), and the design of several retail outlets and offices. Piva maintained an office in both Venice and Vienna and held a professorship in Design at the Hochschule für Angewandte Kunst in Vienna since 1988. He passed away in 2017.

Like many luxury leather goods brands, furniture-manufacturing company de Sede started out as a saddle-making atelier. Based in Klingnau—located in northern Switzerland near the German border—the company traces its high-end furniture production back to 1965, when the original family-run business incorporated and began to collaborate with international designers on the creation of handmade, premium-leather-clad chairs, lounges, and sofas. Over the years, de Sede’s product offering has expanded to include tables, beds, and more.

Generous proportions balanced by sleek silhouettes characterize de Sede furniture. The top quality craftsmanship means each piece has been built to last.

As of this writing, according to the company’s current facts and figures, de Sede AG produces more than 11,000 pieces of furniture each year, of which 70% is exported and distributed in over 40 countries; and, on a production area of 11,000 m2, it processes around 32,000 m2 of top-quality leather each year.

* All images courtesy of de Sede.