Italian architect and designer Piero Lissoni is one of the most influential figures in contemporary Italian design. Across architecture, interior and product design, his work has shaped international design culture for more than three decades.
Lissoni studied architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, graduating in 1985. A year later, in 1986, he co-founded the Milan-based studio Lissoni & Partners with Nicoletta Canesi. Since this time, he has profoundly influenced global design. As Creative Director for leading Italian furniture brands including Alpi, Boffi, De Padova and Living Divani, Lissoni has played a pivotal role in defining the language of mass-produced furniture. His influence was especially pronounced in the early 2000s, when his architectural sensibility became a blueprint for minimalist interiors worldwide. Through his work as both an architect and product steward, Lissoni helped set the style for high-end residential and commercial interiors, establishing a global standard for ‘quiet luxury’ that remains influential today.
Two works recently acquired by the NGV with funds donated by the Annemarie and Arturo Gandiolo-Fumagalli Foundation exemplify Lissoni’s sophisticated approach to minimalism: the Eda-mame chaise, 2018, produced by B&B Italia, and the Piuma chair, 2017, manufactured by Kartell. Though distinct in form and material, both works reflect Lissoni’s ongoing interest in how industrial production, advanced materials and human comfort can be brought together through careful design.
The Eda-mame chaise takes its name and inspiration from the form of a soybean pod, the main ingredient in the Japanese dish of the same name. Lissoni has described the design as emerging from the simple observation of everyday life, transforming a familiar natural form into a piece of furniture. The resulting object is composed of softly swelling volumes that resemble the beans contained within the pod. Rather than following the rectilinear geometry typical of sofas and daybeds, the piece unfolds through a series of rounded forms connected in a continuous surface.
This organic geometry gives the daybed a distinctly sculptural presence. Its asymmetrical silhouette shifts gradually along its length. At one end the form rises to create a high backrest. At the other it opens into a lower surface suitable for reclining. Lissoni has described this movement through the object as a continuous transformation in which chair, lounge and pouf coexist within a single piece of furniture. The design therefore challenges conventional furniture typologies. Rather than defining a single way of sitting, it encourages multiple modes of use.
The fluid character of the Eda-mame chaise also reflects broader changes in contemporary domestic space. Furniture increasingly supports informal patterns of living and social interaction. The daybed allows users to sit, recline or gather in a variety of positions. In this sense the object functions not only as seating but also as a small landscape within the room.
‘Though distinct in form and material, the works reflect Lissoni’s ongoing interest in how industrial production, advanced materials and human comfort can be brought together through careful design’
Ellen Keillar
Despite its apparently soft and organic form, the daybed relies on highly advanced manufacturing techniques. Produced by B&B Italia, the design combines traditional upholstery craftsmanship with sophisticated industrial engineering. The company has long been recognised for pioneering research into flexible polyurethane structures and complex internal frames. These technologies allow large, upholstered forms to maintain structural stability while preserving the smooth, continuous surfaces that define the design.
The collaboration between designer and manufacturer is central to the work’s success. Lissoni often emphasises that furniture design is not the product of a single author but the result of close cooperation between designers, engineers and producers. In the case of the Eda-mame chaise, B&B Italia’s expertise made it possible to realise the complex geometry of the piece. The result is a design that appears effortless yet is underpinned by considerable technical refinement.
If the Eda-mame chaise explores furniture as a sculptural and organic form, the Piuma chair represents an investigation into lightness and structural efficiency. Designed for Kartell, a company internationally known for innovation in plastics, the chair demonstrates how advanced materials can transform familiar furniture types.
Inspired by deceptively strong eggshell, the chair is produced from a composite of carbon fibre and thermoplastic polymer. These materials are more commonly associated with aerospace engineering than domestic furniture. Through this combination Lissoni and Kartell achieve an exceptionally thin shell measuring just two millimetres in thickness.
The resulting chair weighs only 2.4 kilograms. Its name, Piuma – the Italian word for ‘feather’– refers to this remarkable lightness. The seat and backrest form a single continuous surface that curves gently to support the body. Slender legs provide stability while maintaining a minimal visual profile.
Together, the Eda-mame chaise and the Piuma chair illustrate the breadth of Lissoni’s design practice. One explores soft volume and organic form. The other investigates structural lightness and material innovation. Both demonstrate how contemporary furniture can emerge from a dialogue between creative vision and industrial production. Their acquisition into the NGV’s Contemporary Design and Architecture collection recognises Lissoni’s enduring contribution to international design and the continuing role of Italian manufacturers in shaping twenty-first century design.
Ellen Keillar is former NGV Curatorial Project Officer, Contemporary Design and Architecture.
The NGV warmly thanks the Annemarie and Arturo Gandioli-Fumagalli Foundation for the support of these acquisitions.
This essay was published in NGV Magazine Issue 59| Jul–Aug 2026.