Cassina

Cassina S.p.A. is an Italian high-end furniture company based in Meda, in the Brianza area of northern Italy. Established in 1927 by brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina under the Amedeo Cassina name, the business developed from a regional furniture manufacturer into an internationally recognized design house. Its product scope has included chairs, armchairs, tables, sofas, beds and related furnishings, while its commercial activity has also extended to furnishing cruise ships, luxury hotels and restaurants. The company's importance in design history is closely connected with its practice of working with prominent architects and designers and with its preservation of historically important furniture. A decisive turning point came in 1964, when Cassina created the I Maestri, or Masters, collection. The program brought authorized reproductions of modernist furniture into a coherent commercial and historical catalog, beginning with works associated with Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand. Among the best-known pieces connected with this program are the LC1, LC2 and LC3 armchairs and the LC4 chaise longue. Cassina is described as the exclusive worldwide licensee for Le Corbusier designs. The Masters collection subsequently broadened beyond the initial modernist group. In 1968, Cassina acquired reproduction rights to selected Bauhaus objects from the Bauhaus-Archiv in Berlin. The collection later incorporated works by Gerrit Rietveld, Frank Lloyd Wright and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, as well as furniture by Erik Gunnar Asplund. Cassina also obtained reproduction rights from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, including the Barrel chair, originally designed in 1937. Charlotte Perriand's work remained part of the company's historical design program, with additional furniture entering the catalog in 2004. Cassina's identity therefore combines manufacturing, design licensing, archival research and the commercial production of collectible or historically significant furniture. Rather than positioning itself only as a mass-market furniture maker, the company has built its reputation around design authorship, material execution and the continuation of canonical twentieth-century objects. Its collections serve both residential and contract environments, including private interiors, hospitality projects and other premium spaces. The company also participated in the international promotion of Italian design. In 1972, Cassina co-sponsored the Museum of Modern Art exhibition Italy: The New Domestic Landscape in New York, curated by Emilio Ambasz. This linked the company to a major presentation of Italian furniture and domestic-design experimentation in the United States. In 2005, Cassina was acquired by the Poltrona Frau Group. Publicly available reference material identifies the transaction but does not establish a current ultimate owner or provide current financial information. Cassina remains known internationally for its high-end designer furniture and for maintaining a portfolio that connects historic design editions with contemporary furniture production.

Cassina traces its origins to 1927, when Cesare and Umberto Cassina established the Amedeo Cassina company in Meda, within Italy's Brianza furniture-manufacturing district. The enterprise initially developed as a furniture manufacturer and, after the Second World War, expanded both its scale and the range of furnishings it produced. Its catalog came to include chairs, armchairs, tables, sofas and beds. The company also served institutional and commercial clients. Commissions for cruise ships, high-end hotels and restaurants represented an important part of its activity through the 1950s, the 1960s and beyond, giving Cassina experience in furnishing complex interiors as well as individual domestic products. Cassina's historical significance increased substantially in 1964 with the creation of the I Maestri collection. Instead of limiting its business to newly designed furniture, the company began acquiring rights to reproduce major works from the history of modern design. The first group included furniture by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand. The resulting catalog included the LC1, LC2 and LC3 armchairs and the LC4 chaise longue. This program made historically important furniture available through controlled industrial production and established a long-running connection between Cassina and design scholarship, archives and licensing. Cassina became the exclusive worldwide licensee for Le Corbusier designs. The Masters program expanded in 1968 when Cassina obtained reproduction rights to selected Bauhaus objects from the Bauhaus-Archiv in Berlin. Further additions followed. The collection included designs by Gerrit Rietveld, Frank Lloyd Wright and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, with Mackintosh entering the program in 1972. Cassina later reissued furniture by Erik Gunnar Asplund in 1983. In 1986, it obtained reproduction rights from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation for furniture including the Barrel chair, designed in 1937. The company's historical program continued to include Charlotte Perriand, with additional furniture associated with her entering the collection in 2004. This approach gave Cassina a distinctive position in the furniture market. The company combined the capabilities of an Italian manufacturer with the cultural value of canonical design objects. Its role was not simply to copy older furniture: the commercial significance of I Maestri rested on authorized rights, documented design authorship and the ability to manufacture and distribute editions under a recognized design brand. Alongside historic reissues, Cassina continued to produce contemporary furniture and to work across residential, hospitality and contract settings. Cassina also participated in the international visibility of Italian design. In 1972, it co-sponsored the Museum of Modern Art exhibition Italy: The New Domestic Landscape in New York. Curated by Emilio Ambasz, the exhibition presented Italian approaches to domestic environments and helped place Italian design within an important international cultural setting. Cassina's involvement reflected the company's broader relationship with architects, designers, museums and design institutions. In 2005, Cassina was acquired by the Poltrona Frau Group. The available reference material records the acquisition but does not provide a transaction value, detailed ownership structure or current executive information. Cassina is nevertheless described as an active Italian manufacturing company specializing in high-end designer furniture. Its continuing identity rests on the combination of contemporary furniture production, premium Italian design positioning and a substantial archive of licensed twentieth-century works.

1. 2005Acquired by the Poltrona Frau Group

   Cassina was acquired by the Poltrona Frau Group.

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2. 2004Further Charlotte Perriand furniture added

   The historical collection was expanded with additional furniture by Charlotte Perriand.

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3. 1986Frank Lloyd Wright reproduction rights acquired

   Cassina obtained reproduction rights from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, including rights covering the 1937 Barrel chair.

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4. 1983Erik Gunnar Asplund reissues introduced

   The Masters collection was extended with reissued furniture by Erik Gunnar Asplund.

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5. 1972Mackintosh designs added and MoMA exhibition supported

   Cassina added designs by Charles Rennie Mackintosh and co-sponsored the Museum of Modern Art's Italy: The New Domestic Landscape exhibition in New York.

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6. 1971Gerrit Rietveld designs added

   Furniture by Gerrit Rietveld was added to the Masters program.

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7. 1968Bauhaus designs added

   The company obtained reproduction rights to selected Bauhaus objects from the Bauhaus-Archiv in Berlin.

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8. 1964Creation of Cassina I Maestri

   Cassina began its Masters collection by acquiring rights to furniture by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand.

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9. 1927Company founded in Meda

   Brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina established the Amedeo Cassina company in Meda, in northern Italy's Brianza furniture district.

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High-end design furniture combining Italian manufacturing, contemporary design collaborations and authorized reissues of important twentieth-century furniture.

• Cassina I MaestriHistoric design collection1964

  Cassina's Masters collection is a program of authorized reproductions and reissues of historically important furniture. It began in 1964 with works associated with Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand, and later expanded to include selected Bauhaus objects and designs by Gerrit Rietveld, Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Erik Gunnar Asplund. The collection is central to Cassina's identity as a manufacturer that links industrial production with design archives and twentieth-century design history.

• LC1Armchair1964

  The LC1 is an armchair associated with Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand and included in Cassina's I Maestri program. It represents the company's authorized-production approach to modernist furniture and is part of the group of LC designs that established Cassina's international recognition in design furniture.

• LC2Armchair1964

  The LC2 is a modernist armchair associated with Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand. Cassina produces it within the I Maestri framework, where documented design attribution and authorized reproduction are key parts of the offering. It is one of the best-known furniture pieces in Cassina's historic design portfolio.

• LC3Armchair and seating1964

  The LC3 is a substantial modernist seating design associated with Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand. It belongs to Cassina's I Maestri collection and illustrates the company's role in preserving and manufacturing licensed editions of influential twentieth-century furniture.

• LC4Chaise longue1964

  The LC4 chaise longue is one of the signature works in Cassina's Le Corbusier-related catalog. Distributed as part of the I Maestri collection, it exemplifies the company's focus on historically significant modernist furniture and its use of authorized reproduction rights to bring design classics to an international market.

• Barrel chairChair1986

  The Barrel chair, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1937, entered Cassina's historical reproduction program after the company obtained rights from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation in 1986. It represents the expansion of I Maestri beyond European modernism into the work of a major American architect.

• Contemporary furniture rangeFurniture

  Beyond its historical editions, Cassina manufactures and sells contemporary furniture across seating, tables, sofas, beds and other interior furnishings. The company's broader product activity serves residential interiors as well as premium contract applications such as hotels, restaurants and other hospitality environments.

• 1972Italy: The New Domestic Landscape

  United States · International design community

  Cassina co-sponsored the Museum of Modern Art exhibition Italy: The New Domestic Landscape in New York. Curated by Emilio Ambasz, the exhibition examined Italian approaches to domestic design and connected Cassina with an influential international presentation of Italian design culture.

  Outcome. The available reference identifies Cassina's sponsorship role but does not provide a quantified commercial outcome.

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• 2005Acquisition by the Poltrona Frau GroupM&A

  Cassina was an established Italian high-end furniture manufacturer with a significant designer and licensed-design portfolio.

  What changed. The Poltrona Frau Group acquired Cassina.

  Aftermath. Cassina became part of the Poltrona Frau Group. The available reference does not establish the purchase price, detailed deal structure or later ownership arrangements.

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• 1964Create the I Maestri historical-design programStrategy

  Cassina had expanded its furniture manufacturing and commercial furnishing activity after the war. The company chose to add an authorized historical-design program to its regular manufacturing business.

  What changed. It acquired rights to produce furniture associated with Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand, creating the foundation of the I Maestri collection.

  Aftermath. The program became a defining part of Cassina's brand and was subsequently expanded to other major designers and design archives.

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• 2005Cassina acquired by the Poltrona Frau Group

  Cassina became part of the Poltrona Frau Group through an acquisition. The available reference does not specify transaction value or current ownership details.

  M&A
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• 1972Cassina co-sponsors Italy: The New Domestic Landscape

  Cassina co-sponsored the Museum of Modern Art exhibition Italy: The New Domestic Landscape in New York, curated by Emilio Ambasz.

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• 1968Cassina expands its historic-design reproduction program

  The company broadened I Maestri by obtaining reproduction rights to selected Bauhaus objects from the Bauhaus-Archiv in Berlin.

  Product generation
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• 1964Cassina establishes the I Maestri collection

  Cassina launched its Masters collection through the acquisition of rights to produce furniture designed by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand.

  Product launch
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1. Cassina (company)
2. Cassina official website