Molteni - Gillis armchair

A small, low armchair, designed mainly for the hospitality sector, in hotel lobbies, bedrooms, lounges and bars, but also in the home as an occasional armchair set alongside impressive sofas. Classic frame made entirely of wood, where the backrest also acts as an armrest.
The structural seat and backrest function is performed by hide leather straps that guarantee perfect comfort by adapting ergonomically to the body. Seat and backrest are complete with comfortable cushions covered in textiles or leather chosen from the wide range of the Molteni&C collections.
“Gillis has a very strong modernist language. Perfectly crafted timber joinery details, characteristic leather straps at the back of the backrest, the armrest padded with leather made of one single piece gently turning around the backrest make the distinctive design traits of this compact yet very comfortable armchair". - Vincent Van Duysen

Molteni

Angelo Molteni, born 1912, set up his own business in Giussano, today in the province of Monza and Brianza, a furniture district. His artisan workshop soon became a byword for top-quality products.

The workforce of the Giussano business already numbered over 60 people. “Arredamenti di Angelo Molteni” was developing fast, less of an artisan workshop and more of a industry. 

In 1955 Molteni took part in the first “Mostra Selettiva – Concorso Internazionale del Mobile” in Cantù, with a design by Swiss architect Werner Blaser, which won the first prize. The chest of drawers, with a 3-fork geometric joint, was the first prototype of a modern piece of furniture.

In 1959 conquered a double podium at the Cantù Mostra Selettiva, with designs by Yasuhiko Itoh and Donato D’Urbino and Carlo Volonterio, two avant-garde bookcases.

The 60’s started in the best way, indeed, Angelo Molteni joined a group of entrepreneurs to promote Milan’s first Salone del Mobile, the highly successful furniture fair that made its debut on 24 September 1961.

This is the decade of the revolution: in just a few months, manufacturing switched from classic to modern, well-designed furniture suitable for mass production. Luca Meda, an Ulm School graduate, was the man of the revolution, his Iride storage units were presented at the 1968 Salone del Mobile.

Afra and Tobia Scarpa made their debut in Giussano and Turate. For thirty years they designed successful buildings and furniture, distinguished by highly refined details.

In 1975 Molteni&C enters the Contract world, with a furniture supply to Saudi Arabia, which will make it the undisputed leader of "turnkey" solutions.

In 1980 enters Aldo Rossi, a partnership that was to last almost 20 years, with highly acclaimed designs, such as the Teatro series with Luca Meda , the Carteggio desk, the Milano chair, the Cartesio furniture and the Parigi armchair.

In the nineties, Molteni&C communication evolved with the arrival of the Swiss graphic designer Felix Humm, who redrew the Molteni&C logo and created a new look for our institutional and commercial communication.

In 2003 the Gran Teatro La Fenice is inaugurated in Venice, rebuilt according to Aldo Rossi’s design, with the wooden parts made by Molteni&C and the following year Molteni&C , to support its international expansion, created the Divisione Imbottiti [Padded Furniture] and, within the space of just a few years, it has become one of the world’s leading manufacturers with designs by Patricia Urquiola, Ferruccio Laviani, Rodolfo Dordoni, Hannes Wettstein and Ron Gilad, just to mention a few.

In 2008 the distribution has extended beyond the Italian borders and became international. New stores dedicated to the Molteni&C | Dada brand have opened: about 600 stores worldwide including 40 Flagship Stores, also present in the most important international design metropolis such as London and New York.

In 2015, Gruppo Molteni celebrated 80 years in the business with an exhibition at Milan’s Galleria d’Arte Moderna, 80!Molteni. Curated by Jasper Morrison and with graphic design by Studio Cerri & Associati, for the first time prototypes and furniture made by all the Group’s companies narrate 80 years’ experience, quality and innovation. The exhibition has become the nucleus of the Molteni Museum in Giussano.

MolteniGroup.com is the Molteni Group’s new website address. Key words are storytelling, inspiration and the contemporaneity of the Molteni&C and Dada brands. Starting from April 2016 the Belgian architect and designer Vincent Van Duysen is appointed Creative Director of the Molteni&C and Dada brands. After the success of the Gliss Master wardrobe system the new partnership will focus on coordinating the brands’ image and retail concept.

In 2018 New York first Molteni Group "Lifestyle Store". The Molteni Group opened a new window on the world in the heart of Manhattan, at 160 Madison Avenue. The spirit of a unique, evolutionary project, in line with modernity and true to its own stylistic principles, designed by Vincent Van Duysen. This was the first Flagship Store in the world to combine the Group’s three brands: Molteni&C, Dada, and UniFor.