Principi Chair

Overview

The Principi (113) is a chair by Gio Ponti for Cassina. Per the sheet it was designed in 1964 and produced by Cassina in 2023. The sheet names its distinctive traits as an open-pore ash structure and a diamond-shaped cut of the backrest, with a seat cushion upholstered in leather or fabric.

Construction

On the sheet the frame is ash with an open-pore stain in white, Vermillion red, Sky blue or black; the cushion is padded with polyurethane wrapped in a fabric lining and covered with fabrics chosen from the Cassina collection.

Image source: Cassina — Principi Chair · © Cassina and the respective rights holders. Quoted to accompany INTEBEE's independent design commentary and research. · View official product page ↗ · Image use & copyright policy

Specifications

• Dimensions (drawing 113 A1): 43 cm wide, 49 cm deep, 84 cm high; an unlabelled 46 cm line on the side view
• Frame: ash with open-pore finish in white, Vermillion red, Sky blue or black
• Seat: padded cushion in polyurethane with a fabric lining, upholstered in leather or fabric
• Upholstery: 268 named colours on the page, in 15 fabric ranges and 4 leather ranges

A Ponti and Cassina chair

The sheet places the Principi in the golden age of the partnership between Ponti and Cassina. It credits the chair to a wish, shared by the company and the designer, to try a production model that was innovative for the furniture industry and based on cooperation between designer and manufacturer.

Four colours

Per the sheet, the iconic design is made more modern by four colour choices, white, Vermillion red, Sky blue and black, taken from ceramics that Ponti also designed.