Decades after his passing, Gio Ponti’s oeuvre remains an integral part of design history, particularly in his native Italy. The architect’s work encompasses everything from homes and towers to plates and silverware—and, of course, furniture. One of the biggest contemporary proponents of his work remains Molteni&C, a family-run furniture company that first partnered with the Gio Ponti Archives in 2012, reintroducing his pieces to 21st-century audiences in subsequent years. The latest result of that long-running collaboration is Due Foglie, a sofa that Ponti originally designed in the ’50s, and that now sees new life in a very special year for Molteni: the brand’s 90th anniversary.
Due Foglie’s first appearance in 1957 was during an exhibition at the Milan Triennial, where it was shown in an aluminum building against a backdrop of colorful glass blocks. The original was designed as a rocking sofa—Molteni&C’s reissue has been modified slightly, replacing the legs so the chair no longer tilts. Perhaps Due Foglie’s most famous appearance, though, is within Ponti’s revered Villa Planchart, a sky-high, light-filled residence designed for a pair of entrepreneurs in Venezuela.
Over the years, Molteni&C has worked with Ponti’s archive to breathe new life into many of his designs, from iconic pieces like the D.154.2 armchair—reimagined in an outdoor version last year—to the D.5551 cocktail table, which was part of the same Milan Triennial exhibition as Due Foglie more than half a century ago. The brand’s collaboration with Ponti’s heirs is catalogued in its new book, Molteni Mondo, which launches in conjunction with the 90th anniversary celebration at Salone del Mobile. The monograph’s format is meant to emulate scenes in a movie, conveying the timeless, cinematic nature of not just Ponti’s work, but also Italian design writ large.
Helena Madden is ELLE DECOR’s market editor, and covers all things product and trend, from flatware and furnishings to kitchen and bath. She previously worked as a staff writer at Robb Report, where she covered luxury news with a focus on interior design.
