10
Dezza — Gio Ponti
Poltrona Frau
The Dezza armchair, designed by Gio
Ponti in 1965 for Poltrona Frau and
currently listed (available) in three
diff erent versions (Dezza 12, with a
low backrest and very thin armrests
that allow two or more elements to be
combined; Dezza 48, with a goose-
down headrest integrated into the
backrest; Dezza 24, in the armchair
and two-seater sofa version), debuts
at Milan Design Week 2023 with
a brand-new look: the Redevance
printed fabric upholstery, a result of
the company's close collaboration
with Archivio Gio Ponti and JSA Art
Textile manufacturing, an outstanding
local maker and reference point in the
production of the most famous Italian
designer fabrics since the 1950s.
Redevance is a luxurious printed
woolen satin, whose graphic pattern
was originally designed by Ponti
himself, now rediscovered thanks to
an extremely careful work of archival
research. The pattern, made up of
repeated circular sections against a
light background, can be ascribed to
Ponti's explorations on modularity:
simple geometric elements, broken
down and replicated in sequence,
create an infi nite number of potential
visual confi gurations that can be
implemented on various scales, from
structural architecture to everyday
objects. Redevance reinterprets
this principle for the contemporary
world, alternating the geometric
elements in shades of blue and gray
(hues Ponti loved to use) and creating
an enveloping pattern that gives the
upholstery a light and up-to-date
appeal.
The Dezza chair, named after the
Milanese street where the architect's
home-studio was located from
1957 onwards, encapsulates all the
designer's innovative force: a light,
comfortable, aesthetically pleasing
and functional domestic architecture.
Its soft, slender silhouette features
some highly recognizable design
elements, such as the tapered leg with
triangular cross-section, one of Ponti's
distinctive marks (the same can be
found, for example, in the Pirelli Tower
in Milan). The designer's signature can
also be found in the simplicity of the
construction system of the armchair,
consisting of only four pieces – two
sides, the seat, and the backrest.
The supporting structure is made
of seasoned beech wood with
polyurethane foam padding; the
suspension of the seat is in elastic
canvas for the Dezza 24 and 48, and
elastic straps for the Dezza 12. The
cushions are enriched with a pair of
buttons. The ends of the mounting
elements on the sides are in chrome-
plated brass.
