Iconic Maralunga Sofa
Design: Vico Magistretti
Manufacturer: Cassina, 1973
The Softer Revolution
Some designs don’t arrive with noise. They slip into the world quietly — intuitive, tactile, perfectly timed.
The Maralunga sofa, designed by Vico Magistretti and produced by Cassina in 1973, is one of them. Softly shaped, surprisingly smart, and emotionally intelligent, it became an instant icon — and redefined the future of comfort.
At first glance, Maralunga is almost modest: low arms, plush cushions, a slouched profile. But inside that softness hides a radical idea.
It was the first sofa in design history with an adjustable backrest, allowing each sitter to change the angle of their head and posture, independently. A revolutionary feature — hidden in plain sight.
A Bicycle Chain, a Garden Hose, and a Brilliant Accident
The story of Maralunga’s invention is design legend.
During prototyping, a Cassina executive was reportedly so frustrated with the backrest that he punched it, breaking it downwards. Where others saw failure, Magistretti saw potential.
Using a combination of a bicycle chain and a rubber garden hose, he developed a mechanism that allowed the backrest to be folded up or down by a simple push. This solution — brilliantly basic, entirely intuitive — became the defining feature of the sofa.
It was a moment of pure creative thinking: turning a defect into innovation. Turning softness into structure. Turning frustration into one of the most important design gestures of the 20th century.
Quiet Form, Deep Function
Trained as an architect, Magistretti was a master of proportion, and it shows. The silhouette of Maralunga is never showy, but always right.
He once said he wanted to create something “where one can feel totally at ease.” That comfort wasn’t only physical — it was emotional.
The Maralunga isn’t an object that demands attention. It’s one that earns affection. It adapts, lives with you, grows with your interior. It ages well — precisely because it wasn’t trying to be trendy.
Timeless by Design
The Maralunga won the Compasso d’Oro in 1979 and has remained in production ever since. It has been reissued in new dimensions (Maralunga 40, Maralunga Maxi) and new materials, yet its essence has never changed.
Today, it’s seen not only as a comfort icon, but as a masterclass in design thinking: user-centered, invention-led, built to last.
Why HART Loves It
Because it whispers rather than shouts.
Because it’s proof that innovation doesn’t need spectacle.
It becomes presence. Memory. Culture.
Who made it ?
Cassina is the brand that is still making this sofa.
