Cooper Hewitt says...
Cassina S.p. A. is an Italian furniture manufacturer founded by brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina, in 1927 in the northern region of Brianza, Italy, an area noted for its skilled artisans and woodworkers. Initially specializing in cabinetry and residential furniture, Cassina S.p.A. expanded in the 1940s to precision woodworking and custom upholstery for luxury ocean liners, hotels, and restaurants. These commissions remained a mainstay of the company’s activity throughout the 1960s and beyond.
In the mid-1950s, the firm began to collaborate with leading designers such as Gio Ponti, creator of the firm’s Superleggera chair (1957), an example of which is in Cooper Hewitt’s collection (2013-54-1). In subsequent decades, notable collaborators included Mario Bellini, Gaetano Pesce, and more recently, Constantin Grcic, and Zaha Hadid. In 1972, the company co-sponsored the highly regarded MoMA exhibition “Italy: the New Domestic Landscape.” Acquired by the Haworth Group in 2014, Cassina is still producing furniture for both domestic and business interiors.
