Set of Funky Chairs by Robin Day for Tecno, 1970s

Husband-and-wife designers Robin (1915-2010) and Lucienne Day (1917-2010) were Britain's leading pioneers of modernist design in the 20th century. They played an instrumental role in persuading postwar British society to welcome minimalist, progressive, mass-produced designs into domestic settings.

Lucienne Conradi met Robin Day in 1940 while they were studying design at London's Royal College of Art; the pair married two years later. For over 50 years, they worked side-by-side from their home-studio in Chelsea. They both held teaching positions in the early years of their careers.

Robin Day first came to prominence as a furniture designer in 1948, when his multipurpose storage unit (co-designed by Clive Latimer) won first prize in New York's Museum of Modern Art International Low-Cost Furniture Competition. In 1949, Robin's passion for combining functionalist aesthetics with the latest technology drew the attention of Hille, a small British cabinetmaking firm that aimed to expand into the modern furniture market. Though Robin was never officially employed by Hille—preferring instead to remain a consultant—he effectively worked as the company's head of design for over two decades.

Lucienne Day specialized in textile and wallpaper design that was inspired by the biomorphic forms of modern artists like Wassily Kandinsky and Joan Miró, as well as the evolving landscape of postwar society. She was regularly worked for major retailers, like Stevenson & Son, Mark & Spencer, Cavenidish Textiles, Edinburgh Weavers, and Heals Fabrics.

The Days became London's most famous designers in 1951, following their participation in the landmark Festival of Britain. Robin created a range of plywood and steel-rod chairs for public spaces throughout the festival, and both Days contributed to the festival's Home & Gardens Pavilion. Robin's designs were hailed as "revolutionary," and Lucienne's Calyx Textile, among others, went on to win a number of award and to become a bestseller for Heals. The Day's successful designs for the Festival of Britain were exhibited to great acclaim later the same year at the IX Triennale in Milan.

Many of Robin's designs have attained iconic status, including the Hillestak Chair (1951), 675 Chair (1952), Stak Chair (1954), Gatwick Seating (1958), Polypropylene Stacking Chair (1963), and Forum Armchair (1964)—all for Hille. Robin also designed a number of televisions and radios for Pye.

Since its introduction, Robin's design for super-low cost Polyprop has never been altered, nor gone out of production. Winning the Council of Industrial Design award upon its debut, it's been widely used in offices, waiting rooms, airports, hospitals, schools, and homes around the world. In 2009, it was printed on a Royal Mail postage stamp as part of a series celebrating “British Design Classics."

Lucienne was awarded the International Design Award of the American Institute of Decorators in 1952 and the Gran Premio prize at the Milan Triennale two years later. Lucienne's standout designs include Provence Wallpaper for John Line & Son (1951), Trio Furniture Fabric for Heal (1954), Dandelion Clocks Furnishing Fabric for Heal (1953), HC 6239 Dress Fabric for Cavendish Textiles (ca. 1954), and Apex Furnishing Fabric for Heal (1967). She also designed modern porcelain tableware patterns for Rosenthal, such as Ilias (1962).

Unwaveringly committed to design that enhances people’s lives, Robin and Lucienne Day enjoyed long,distinct yet harmonious careers.Their work can be found in permanent collections of the most famous museums of modern art and design, including the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

The Days both died 2010; Robin at 95 years old and Lucienne Day at 93.

The roots of Italian industrial design company Tecno go back to the early 1920s, when woodworker and upholsterer Gaetano Borsani (1886-1955) set up Atelier Borsani Varedo (later called Arredamenti Borsani Varedo) in Varedo, Italy. In those early years, the family business produced fine, bespoke furnishings in a style that reflected the Art Deco movement as well as the artisanal traditions of the Brianza region of Lombardy. Participation in the Mostra Internazionale di Arte Decorative exhibitions in Monza earned Atelier Borsani acclaim in 1925, 1927, and 1930.

Gaetano’s twin sons Fulgenzio and Osvaldo Borsani took active roles in the company from an early age. While still studying architecture at Beaux-Arts Accedemia di Brera, Osvaldo designed a rationalist furniture collection, called Casa Minima, and presented it at the 5th Triennale di Milano in 1933. The project won a silver medal. Throughout the ’30s and ’40s, Atelier Borsani was commissioned by Lombary’s elite society to create furniture for large and upscale domestic and office interiors.

Following the Second World War, Osvaldo began to envision transitioning his family’s business from traditional craft production to industrial manufacturing—even though his father Gaetano did not like the idea. Osvaldo remained determined to use modernist principles to design for the changing lifestyles of the postwar era. Together with his brother Fulgenzio, Osvaldo founded a new company, Tecno, in 1953.

Tecno’s first factory-produced collection of sofas, chairs, and tables received an enthusiastic reception at the 10th Triennale di Milano in 1954. The simple, adjustable D70 Sofa Bed (1954) received honorable mention, and Osvaldo promptly patented the design. Tecno’s next big hit was the P40 Lounge (1956), an adjustable, reclining chair with built-in footrest. Both of these Tecno products have become beloved symbols of the golden age of Italian modernist design.

While Osvaldo was inspired by the functionalist theories of the pioneers of modernism that practiced the generation before him, the flexibility and multipurpose capacities of Tecno’s earliest designs can also be traced to the work produced by Atelier Borsani Varedo. Gaetano’s success was built upon creating well made, customized, and adaptable furnishings. Osvaldo’s primary aim, in contrast to his father’s, was to take smart design solutions to the masses, especially in the context of office buildings and public spaces, like train stations, airports, and hospitals. 

In 1957, Osvaldo received his first first large-scale commission to design office furniture for ENI, the Italian multinational oil and gas company. More major commissions followed, and Tecno became internationally known for designs based in advanced technology.

In 1968, Tecno introduced the Graphis Office System (1967)—designed by Osvaldo Borsani and Eugenio Gerli (b. 1923)—at the 14th Triennale di Milano; it was heralded as a revolution in office furniture design because the system’s modular components allowed unlimited and customizable combinations that adapt overtime as companies grow and contract. It remained a bestseller for Tecno for decades.

In 1970, as Osvaldo began to step away from day-to-day operations and his son-in-law, Marco Fantoni, took a larger role—Tecno restructured its design approach. Underscoring the collaborative effort that goes into developing new designs, Tecno launched its Centro Progetti Tecno, an in-house team dedicated to communications and industrial design work. The Centro Progetti Tecno was responsible for a number of the company’s successes in the ’70s and ’80s, including the molded plastic Modus Office Chair (1972), which won the SMAU Prize in 1973; the steel mesh Waiting System (1983), a modular seating and table concept for large public spaces; and the rebranding of Alitalia worldwide (1982-84), for which Centro Progetti Tecno was award the Compasso d’Oro in 1984.

In the 1980s, Tecno began to commission outside designers to produced furniture designs—an approach that continues to this day. Highlights include Norman Foster’s Nomos Tables (1986); Luca Scacchetti’s Ianus Desk and Storage System (1988); Emilio Ambasz’s Qualis Chairs (1991), Piero Lissoni ‘s Asymmetrical System (2006); Rodolfo Dordoni’s PONS D011 Sofa and Table System (2011); Monica Förster’s Archipelago D502 Seating System (2012); and Luca Scacchetti’s Vara T503 Tables and Storage System (2013).

Tecno has also found success cultivating long-term partnerships with leading architects, who have commissioned Tecno to provide tailor-made furniture solutions for landmark buildings, such as Foster + Partners’ refurbished British Museum in London and Jean Nouvel's Agbar Tower in Barcelona.

In 2008, Tecno opened new Milan offices in the Porta Garibaldi Excise Buildings, following extensive adaptation and refurbishment work. Today, many Tecno products can be found in the collections of leading museums around the world such as  New York, SF MoMA, Victoria & Albert London, Pompidou Centre Paris, Neue Sammlung Monaco, Museum of Decorative Arts Montreal, and Triennale Milano.