Tecno - Osvaldo Borsani - Chair (5) - Mode - Aluminium, ABS

Osvaldo Borsani & Centro Progetti Tecno – Set of 5 Modus office chairs, Tecno, Italy

A piece of Italian design history, ready for your desk.

Some names belong not only to design history: they wrote it. Osvaldo Borsani (Varedo 1911 – Milan 1985) grew up in his father's cabinetmaking workshop in Brianza, the cradle of Italian furniture craftsmanship. In 1933, still a student, he won a silver medal at the Milan Triennale. In the postwar period he worked beside artists such as Lucio Fontana, Arnaldo Pomodoro and Fausto Melotti.

In 1953, together with his twin brother Fulgenzio, he founded Tecno, from the Greek téchne, which meant at once art and technique. The idea was revolutionary: furniture as a technological object, designed with mechanisms and built to function. The results became legendary. The P40 armchair is now part of the MoMA and Victoria & Albert Museum collections, and the D70 sofa was a sensation at the 1954 Triennale. In the ’70s Tecno furnished offices around the world and collaborated with Norman Foster, Gae Aulenti and Renzo Piano.

The Modus: an award-winning icon

The Modus chair was born in 1972 from Centro Progetti Tecno, the internal design lab founded by Borsani with his daughter Valeria and architect Marco Fantoni. It was designed to complement the famous Tecno Graphis office system. The following year, in 1973, it won the SMAU Award.

Its secret is a patented “spider” joint between shell and base, an engineering solution that made Modus one of the most intelligent and recognizable office chairs of its era. Space-age lines, Italian rigor and pure functionality in a single sculptural silhouette.

This set: a story you can feel

These five chairs come from a bank in Emilia-Romagna. For years they furnished Italian offices where decisions were made and agreements signed, and they carry that heritage into every curve. The set was produced in 1985, as confirmed by the stamped date under the shell: the same year Borsani passed away. One of the final chapters of his legacy.

That green. A deep, glossy green that enlivens any space, far rarer and more striking than the usual black or white. Paired with the black upholstery, the effect is timeless.
Comfort that’s real. The wraparound ergonomic shell and the padded seat and backrest make these chairs comfortable even for long hours of work.
Height-adjustable. They rise and lower easily to fit any desk.
Home office or conference room. Put one at your home desk and your study becomes a statement of style. Use all five in a conference room or a study to instantly create an iconic workspace. They also work as dining chairs for a bold 70s-inspired interior.

Technical details

Designer: Centro Progetti Tecno / Osvaldo Borsani
Manufacturer: Tecno, Italy
Model: Modus, design 1972 (SMAU Award 1973)
Production: 1985 (dated stamp under shell)
Shell: glossy reinforced molded plastic, green
Base: cast aluminum, polished, 5-star swivel base
Mechanism: patented Tecno attachment between shell and base, marked “Patent Pending”
Upholstery: black fabric on seat and back
Swivel and height-adjustable
Approximate dimensions: H 73–77 cm · seat height 40–44 cm · W 48 cm · D 45 cm

Conditions

The lot on the auction consists of 5 chairs.
Maintenance: chairs have been professionally cleaned and sanitized.
Condition: shells and structures are intact and stable, as are cushions and covers, compact and comfortable, with only light signs of use.
One chair shows a thin capillary crack on the front of the shell, which does not affect its stability or use.

Five Modus chairs, an iconic color, a legendary name. Don’t miss them.