B&B Italia - Serie Up 2000 armchair Soara

Designed in 1969, right from the onset the Up series has been one of the most outstanding expressions of design with its expressive shapes upholstered with elastic fabric. This innovative solution, poised midway between design and art, and conceived to be offered to a wide audience, stems from B&B Italia’s extensive technological know-how in terms of polyurethane injection moulding. Particularly noteworthy among the armchairs is the iconic UP5_6, with its unmistakeable anthropomorphic references: a metaphor of a large womb, it calls to mind ancient statues of the goddesses of fertility.

But that’s not all: a spherical ottoman tied to the armchair contrasts the image of comfort and convenience with a more figurative one of a woman with a ball and chain tied to her foot. Gaetano Pesce described the project as follows: “At that time, I was seeking to tell a personal story about my concept of women: I believe that women have always unwittingly been their own jailer. This is why I decided to give this armchair the shape of a woman with a ball and chain, reflecting the traditional image of a prisoner”.

This armchair also comes in a junior version for kids aged 3 and up – a perfectly faithful replica of the original design, only smaller. The series also includes the UP7 “foot”, a large sculptural object in painted polyurethane that poses as an archaeological relic of the modern era.

Gaetano Pesce

Gaetano Pesce, architect, artist and designer, in forty years of career has carried out public and private projects in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia in the fields of architecture, urban planning, interior design, industrial and exhibition design, driven by a constant tension towards innovation and experimentation.

Born in La Spezia in 1939, Pesce studied architecture at the University of Venice and wrote a manifesto in his youth in defense of the right to inconsistency in art, the need to change, to be free, not to repeat ourselves. The boundaries between art, design and industry become irrelevant in his production, because even art is a product, it is the creative response to the needs of the time in which we live. His continuous research in the field of advanced materials, languages ​​and technology has resulted in iconic productions such as the Up series (1969), composed of seven examples of seats with voluptuous shapes, including the Up5_6 armchair, the first product of industrial design called to convey a political message, to denounce the condition of women in the world.

Pesce's multidisciplinary work is represented in the permanent collections of the most important museums in the world including the MoMa and the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Center Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Vitra Museum in Germany and the Montreal Museum of Art, to name a few. His approach to design has marked its history and his works have been celebrated in exhibitions of extraordinary importance. Numerous companies produce his projects.

B&B Italia

B&B Italia since 1966 is one of the largest companies in the furniture sector, constituting an important chapter in the history of design. The furnishings of B&B Italia are characterized by exceptional quality and timeless elegance. The brand reflects contemporary culture and the ability to respond to every need.

Based in Novedrate, it is one of the largest companies in the industry since 1966, constituting an important chapter in the history of design. Its uniqueness is manifested in the brilliant collections of furniture and furnishings, where every product is synonymous with research, creativity, innovation and design. Comfortable and elegant, the B&B Italia sofas are known and appreciated not only for their refined aesthetics, but also for their high quality, together with armchairs, poufs, wardrobes, wardrobes, tables and all the other charming designer furniture.

To name a few, the Up armchair and the Alanda '18 coffee table stand out as timeless icons, synonymous with history, quality and aesthetics. Interpreting contemporaneity and anticipating trends in ever-changing contexts; This is the company’s mission. From indoor to outdoor spaces, from home to contract, always responding to the needs of living, this is the heart of the company’s philosophy. To impress an indelible mark in history, important collaborations with Antonio Citterio, Gaetano Pesce, Carlo Scarpa, Paolo Nava, Patricia Urquiola, Zaha Hadid and many other international designers make B&B Italia a 100% Made in Italy brand of success in modern and contemporary furniture.