Italian industrial design powerhouse Joe Colombo might have been responsible for designing the first-ever modular sofa with his iconic Tube Chair. First manufactured by Flexform in 1969, it’s found in museums the world over including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Vitra Design Museum. But thanks to Italian furniture brand Cappelini, the adjustable chair has been reissued and can now feature prominently in your own living room.
The graphic, highly modern chair is made up of four tubes of varying diameter connected by fastening hooks. They form the headrest, back support, seat, and leg rest and can be configured according to the user’s preference. The tubes can also be nested into one another for easy storage.
Each PVC cylinder is manufactured through a rotational molding process that creates the hollow tube as a single piece. The tubes are upholstered in either leather or two-way stretch fabric, and the chair is available in black, white, yellow, turquoise or orange colorways.
Talking to Dezeen, Cappelini’s creative director Giulio Cappellini explains his choice to bring back one of Colombo’s most important pieces of furniture:
Even though it's been a long time since it's initial design, it continues to preserve its freshness and contemporaneity. It was the first modular sofa able to fit every need and still has a very contemporary pop image. It's easily adaptable to be set in the most diverse situations both public and private.