Skip to main content

Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Italian, b. 1943

In his role as art director and furniture designer for Italian furniture brand Giorgetti, architect, educator and painter Massimo Scolari spent over a decade producing so many imaginative, sculptural postmodern pieces that it’s easy to lose count. The Novi Ligure native has always had an eye for good design — he is an equally acclaimed painter with works in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, and has taught at Harvard University, Cornell University and the University of Cambridge.

In 1969, Scolari completed his studies in architecture and became a professor in 1973. He taught architecture history in Palermo and drawing at Venice’s Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia. From 1975 onward, Scolari was a visiting professor at many of the world’s top universities for nearly three decades while creating numerous installations for the La Biennale di Venezia and Milan Triennial.

Among Scolari’s notable furniture designs are the solid beechwood Spring swivel armchair, which is characterized by organic curves and has a backrest that features ebony insets, as well as the Erasmo and Zeno writing desks. Each piece offers innovative flourishes — the hidden spring in his armchair allows the sitter to lean back comfortably, which lends an unusual level of flexibility to the modern wooden seat, while his sleek writing desks are often outfitted with hidden drawers or secret pull-out compartments.

Scolari has exhibited across the United States. and Europe as well as in Russia and Japan. A retrospective of his work that featured over 100 paintings, drawings and architectural models was staged at the Cooper Union in 2012. For his distinct and creative contributions to architecture, Scolari was awarded the Arnold W. Brunner Memorial Prize in Architecture by the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York in 2014. 

Find vintage Massimo Scolari lighting, tables and seating on 1stDibs.

to
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
2
1
2
1
1
1
2
1
2
2
3
1
1
1
1
3
3
3
3
3
6
107
61
54
36
Creator: Massimo Scolari
"Zeno" Asymmetrical Beech and Ebony Desk by Massimo Scolari for Giorgetti, 1990s
By Massimo Scolari, Giorgetti S.p.A.
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A well crafted asymmetric 90's desk designed by Massimo Scolari for Giorgetti S.p.A. The desk is made of a beech frame with Macassar Ebony inset top and aluminum hardware. The leg ha...
Category

1990s Italian Post-Modern Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Aluminum

Mid-Century Desk and Matching Chair by Massimo Scolari for Giorgetti, Italy1990
By Giorgetti S.p.A., Massimo Scolari
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Desk and Matching Chair by Massimo Scolari for Giorgetti, Italy,1990s Dimensions D: 80 - Chair : 46 cm H: 73 - Chair : 89 cm W: 160,5 - Chair : 65 cm
Category

1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Wood

Georgetti Erasmo Luxury Italian Oval Desk by Massimo Scolari
By Massimo Scolari
Located in Bridgeport, CT
An extraordinary Italian design with particularly noteworthy Moden form and exquisite wood. Georgetti Erasmo oval desk designed by Massimo Scolari with fluid and linear lines. The de...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Related Items
Onix desk with matching chair by Vittorio Parigi Nani Prina
By Vittorio Parigi and Nani Prina, Molteni C
Located in Kleinburg, ON
Red 1970s Orix desk by Vittorio Parigi & Nani Prina for Molteni & C. From the Molteni Museum website: “You write on it and I read at it, but she looks at her reflection in it, ano...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Chrome

Onix desk with matching chair by Vittorio Parigi 
Nani Prina
Onix desk with matching chair by Vittorio Parigi 
Nani Prina
$4,240 Sale Price
20% Off
H 32.68 in W 40.95 in D 25.2 in
Italian Desk, 1950s
Located in Palermo, PA
Italian desk, 1950s. Dimensions: H= 80 cm; W= 153 cm; D= 66 cm.
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Italian Desk, 1950s
Italian Desk, 1950s
$2,496
H 31.5 in W 60.24 in D 25.99 in
Vintage Italian Desk
Located in New York, NY
A circa 1940's Italian desk with marquetry top. Measurements: Height: 30" Width: 42" Depth: 25.5"
Category

1940s Italian Vintage Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Vintage Italian Desk
Vintage Italian Desk
$6,800
H 30 in W 42 in D 25.5 in
Italian Mid-Century Modern Small Desk and Chair Attributed to Paolo Buffa, 1950s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Traversetolo, IT
Cute and stylish Italian midcentury modern desk, with a graceful chair, attributed to Paolo Buffa. This teakwood desk it is a splendid example of the Italian class design of 1950. B...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Welcome to Mid-Century NoHo Mid Century Maple Desk by Paul McCobb for Winchendon
By Paul McCobb, Winchendon
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Welcome to Mid-Century NoHo [Mid Century Maple Desk by Paul McCobb for Winchendon] Mid-century maple desk designed by Paul McCobb for Winchendon. This beautiful desk is made of map...
Category

1950s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Maple

Italian Modern Desk Designed By Sandro Petti
By Aldo Tura, Paolo Buffa, Gio Ponti, Karl Springer, Sandro Petti
Located in Houston, TX
Italian Modern Desk Designed By Sandro Petti. Offered is an large handsome desk with brass trim and three drawers designed by Sandro Petti in the 1970's. This stunning desk is finis...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Brass

Italian Modern Desk Designed By Sandro Petti
Italian Modern Desk Designed By Sandro Petti
$12,850
H 29.75 in W 63.25 in D 30.5 in
Rare Kono Dining Table / Desk by Lella Massimo Vignelli for Casigliani, 1984
By Massimo and Lella Vignelli
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This exceptionally rare and large 'Kono' table, which works excellent as either a dining table or a desk, by Lella Vignelli and Massimo Vignelli was designed in 1984 and this example created in the mid-to-late 1980s by Casigliani in Pisa, Italy. This rare example of the 'Kono' design features a monumental Black Granite slab for the top, two thick slabs of Imperial Red Granite which connect together to form one of the bases, and the Vignellis signature Patinated Copper cone which forms the other base. The 'Kono' design was normally made as coffee tables so it is quite rare to find examples made scaled up in dining table size. In addition, typical Kono tables were made with glass tops and a single slab granite base. This example however, the Vignellis selected Black Granite instead of the typical glass tops. Also, rather than using a rectangular single-slab base, this example features an L-shaped base constructed with two slabs that connect together along one angled edge. It still employs the cone-shaped patinated copper base typical of Kono tables, however this example is much larger of course than cocktail table versions. The Vignelli Center for Design Studies, which houses the artists’ archive, confirmed this table to be one of two known drawings by the Vignellis (a copy of the Vignelli sketch, which they provided, is included in the photo gallery) though it is unknown if the other table was ever produced, making this table potentially an important one-of-a-kind. The Black Granite top in lower light settings is dark, deep and mysterious. With direct sunlight its luminosity is intense - see the photo gallery for images of the table in direct sunlight from our skylight above. It glows, shines and shimmers with incredible vibrancy, similar to diamonds - to see it in person is quite exquisite and remarkable. While we only had it set up under our skylight for a couple hours, I would describe the experience as recharging - I felt like I had just spent a couple hours meditating, this would be incredible to wake up to every day before leaving to work. The Vignellis described the 'Kono' table as: “This design exploits the relationship between geometrical figures and material finishes." Over the course of their four-decade-long design practice, Lella and Massimo Vignelli collaborated on projects that ranged from product design and brand identity to interior and furniture design. Whether designing New York City’s subway map...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Granite, Copper

Rare 
Kono
 Dining Table / Desk by Lella 
Massimo Vignelli for Casigliani, 1984
Rare 
Kono
 Dining Table / Desk by Lella 
Massimo Vignelli for Casigliani, 1984
$34,700 Sale Price
27% Off
H 28.5 in W 86.5 in D 39.5 in
Modern Italian Desk by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia
By Antonio Citterio, B&B Italia
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Elegant and architectural desk designed by Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia, showcasing the refined craftsmanship and modern sensibility that define Italian design. This sleek piece f...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Steel

Modern by Giuseppe Carpanelli Cartesio Writing Desk in Ebony
By Carpanelli
Located in Desio, IT
Writing desk made with a mix of raw materials: wood, leather, stainless steel and glass. Drawers in curved plywood, with a Makassar ebony finishing, equipped with drawers with full-e...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Ebony

Modern by Giuseppe Carpanelli Cartesio Writing Desk in Ebony
Modern by Giuseppe Carpanelli Cartesio Writing Desk in Ebony
$10,412 / item
H 29.93 in W 31.5 in D 87.8 in
Luxury Desk in Zebra Wood by Rene Gabriel, 1946
By Rene Gabriel
Located in PARIS, FR
Luxury Desk in Zebra Wood by Rene Gabriel, 1946 This desk was edited in 1946, it was presented at the "Salon des Artistes Décorateurs" the same year. The ...
Category

1940s French Vintage Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Zebra Wood

Luxury Desk in Zebra Wood by Rene Gabriel, 1946
Luxury Desk in Zebra Wood by Rene Gabriel, 1946
$45,169
H 30.32 in W 74.81 in D 39.38 in
Artona desk designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Maxalto 1979.
By Afra Tobia Scarpa, Maxalto
Located in Athens, Attiki
The Artona executive desk by Afra and Tobia Scarpa was the first line ever produced by Maxalto. Maxalto was set up in 1975 as a high-end division of B&B Italia to focus exclusively ...
Category

1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Walnut, Burl

Glass, Painted wood Chrome Plated Metal 1990s desk by Gallotti e Radice
By Gallotti Radice
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Minimal Desk with wheeled chest of drawers in white lacquered wood, thick cut glass and chrome plated metal. Minimal and elegant Desk with chest of drawers on wheels in white lacqu...
Category

1990s Italian Modern Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Previously Available Items
Massimo Scolari for Giorgetti Zeno Beech and Ebony Desk, 1990s
By Giorgetti S.p.A., Massimo Scolari
Located in Basildon, London
Designed by Massimo Scolari for Giorgetti in 1994, the Zeno desk is a fantastic example of modern Italian design. The desk is construc...
Category

1990s Italian Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Beech

Contemporary Giorgetti Desk, Writing table by Massimo Scolari, Italy, 1990s
By Giorgetti S.p.A., Massimo Scolari
Located in Antwerp, BE
Massimo Scolari; desk; office furniture; Giorgetti; Italy; 1990s; Aluminum; Beech; Italian Design; Italian Furniture; Contemporary; Art Nouveau; Minimalism; Eclectic Contemporary ...
Category

1990s Italian Modern Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Aluminum

Set Massimo Scolari For Giorgetti "Zeno" Desk and Chair, 1990s
By Massimo Scolari
Located in Brussels, BE
Set Massimo Scolari for Giorgetti "Zeno" desk and chair, 1990s.
Category

1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Wood

Erasmo Executive Desk by Giorgetti
By Massimo Scolari
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Executive desk with the frame in walnut Canaletto wood veneer. The top is in ebony macassar veneer with cable holder. The chest with 3 drawers, two shallow and one deep, is in curved...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Chrome

Erasmo Executive Desk by Giorgetti
Erasmo Executive Desk by Giorgetti
H 28.35 in W 103.15 in D 43.31 in
Vintage Italian Desk by Massimo Scolari for Giorgetti
By Giorgetti S.p.A., Massimo Scolari
Located in London, GB
A stylish and impressive vintage desk made in Italy, this was designed by Massimo Scolari and was made by Giorgetti around the 1970s-1980s. It’s of amazing quality, with an interesti...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Leather, Beech

Giorgetti Dining Table Massimo Scolari
By Giorgetti S.p.A., Massimo Scolari
Located in Den Haag, NL
Beautiful large Giorgetti dining table or writing desk. Designed by Massimo Scolari featuring a thick etched glass top on a solid ash wood frame. The legs feature an architectural de...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Art Deco Massimo Scolari Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Cut Glass

Giorgetti Dining Table Massimo Scolari
Giorgetti Dining Table Massimo Scolari
H 30.71 in W 87.01 in D 37.01 in

Massimo Scolari desks and writing tables for sale on 1stDibs.

Massimo Scolari desks and writing 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 Massimo Scolari desks and writing tables, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider desks and writing tables by Driade, Gio Ponti, and Franco Albini. Prices for Massimo Scolari desks and writing tables can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,670 and can go as high as $1,670, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,670.

Recently Viewed

View All