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Franco Albini Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Italian, 1905-1977

While working under the polymath Gio Ponti — arguably the most important figure in 20th-century Italian modernism — furniture designer Franco Albini nurtured a love for modern forms combined with traditional craft techniques.

Albini is widely known for working with organic materials such as rattan and cane for his chairs and other seating, but he also played a pivotal role in the Italian rationalist movement of the early 20th century, which saw architects and furniture makers applying a strict emphasis on geometry in their work. Rationalists drew on Ancient Roman architecture but rejected ornament, much in the way that Le Corbusier and celebrated Bauhaus figures such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe had in their modernist furniture.

Albini received his degree in architecture from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1929, and, in 1931, he founded his practice in Milan, where he tackled workers’ housing and other reconstruction projects. A gifted urban planner, he also developed the Palazzo Bianco, Palazzo Rosso and Tesoro di San Lorenzo museums in Genoa. While Albini is revered for his Margherita chair — a Triennale Milano award winner created for Bonacina in 1951 — he also collaborated with manufacturers Poggi and Cassina in the 1940s on seating, tables and more that embodied his artistic vision. Of that mid-century work, the one piece that perhaps best captures this vision is the iconic Luisa chair.

With its cherry red upholstery and sinuous wooden legs that seem to float aboveground, the Luisa is a genuine masterpiece. It is also a testament to Albini’s perfectionism, as it endured several prototypes — including one made by Knoll in the late 1940s — and took approximately 15 years to design. Poggi launched the final version of the armchair in 1955, earning Albini the prestigious Compasso d’Oro from Italy’s Association for Industrial Design. It is produced today by Cassina. Albini named the chair for someone who likely saw the process firsthand: his personal secretary of two decades, Luisa Colombini.

Find vintage Franco Albini furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Franco Albini
20th Century, Franco Albini Pair of TN6 Cicognino Coffee Tables in Wood, 50s
By Franco Albini, Poggi
Located in Turin, Turin
An iconic design with a refined and essential taste, which in its playful form evokes a reassuring feeling of familiarity. Franco Albini created the table by reducing its structure t...
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1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Franco Albini Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Wood

Cicognino TN6 side table by Franco Albini for Poggi Pavia, Italy, 1950s
By Poggi, Franco Albini
Located in Piacenza, Italy
A refined example of mid-century Italian design, this Cicognino coffee table was designed by Franco Albini in the 1950s. The table features a sculptural base crafted from elegantly c...
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1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Franco Albini Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Wood

Cicognino coffee table model, by Franco Albini for Cassina
By Cassina, Franco Albini
Located in Busnago, IT
A wooden serving table, model TN6 "Cicognino," manufactured by Cassina, design by Franco Albini, 2000s. Some objects embody the quintessence of great design. They possess personalit...
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2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Franco Albini Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Wood

Franco Albini Cicognino Coffee Table in Teak Wood by Poggi Pavia 1970s Italy
By Franco Albini, Poggi
Located in Cascina, Pisa
Cicognino coffee table entirely made in teak wood designed by Franco Albini in 1952 and firstly produced by the Italian company, Poggi Pavia from the 1950s. The Cicognino coffee t...
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1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Franco Albini Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Teak

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Prized "Cicognino" Side Table by Franco Albini for Poggi, 1952
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Prized "Cicognino" side table by Franco Albini for Poggi, 1952. Part of the original production, conserved in the best of conditions.
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1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Franco Albini Coffee and Cocktail Tables

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Franco Albini coffee and cocktail tables for sale on 1stDibs.

Franco Albini coffee and cocktail tables are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Franco Albini coffee and cocktail tables, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original coffee and cocktail tables by Franco Albini were created in the mid-century modern style in italy during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider coffee and cocktail tables by Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Nerone and Patuzzi, and Massimo Papiri. Prices for Franco Albini coffee and cocktail tables can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $4,250 and can go as high as $11,125, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $6,675.

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