Dezeen promotion: designer Antonio Citterio marks 20 years of his Groundpiece sofa for Italian furniture brand Flexform, with an interview explaining its innovations and "connection with the world of art".
The best-selling Groundpiece sofa was designed by Citterio for Flexform in 2001, and includes several innovations to this furniture typology that remain modern.
Antonio Citterio's Groundpiece sofa is celebrating its 20th anniversary
In the interview to celebrate the anniversary, the Italian designer revealed that he was surprised by the product's success given its simplicity.
"When we made Groundpiece, it seemed to us that we were making a project with impressive content but that would not have sold because it was so simple, so non-traditional," said Citterio. "But we made it anyway. Because it seemed exciting to us to experiment with this marriage between art and a cushion, which is not exactly the most obvious marriage."
The Groundpiece sofa has been used in several residential interiors all over the world, like this private house in Switzerland. Photograph by Sandro Diener, courtesy Meier Architekten Zürich
One of the design's unique features is the introduction of optional storage solutions in place of the padded and upholstered armrests.
These cowhide-clad metal consoles allow for books and other small items items to be placed on view and in easy reach of the sitter.
"We innovate and this way of working of ours is what leads to ext...