The armchair that in 1970 earned Cassina and Afra and Tobia Scarpa the Golden Compass, is back in an ecological formula, with organic foam and 100 percent recycled Pet

This is a story that comes from afar and has two excellences as protagonists. On the one hand, a couple of visionary designers; on the other, a company that since 900 has given shape, with its workers, to the intuitions of the most avant-garde designers, in a perfect synthesis of Made in Italy and new lifestyles.

This is the story of Soriana, the armchair (and sofa) designed in 1969 by Afra and Tobia Scarpa and still one of the most sought-after upholstery items for interior design projects all over the world. Half a century after the first model was born,Ā Cassina takes up this icon that has in the meantime become a collector's item and, in collaboration with Tobia Scarpa, proposes it again, with the utmost respect for authenticity, using eco-sustainable materials, with the aim to create a lower environmental impact and a higher level of comfort.

Loved by the designer, who defines it as "a breath of indispensable relaxation", Soriana was awarded the Compasso d'Oro in 1970: the pair of designers and the company had managed to create a piece of furniture with abundant and enveloping curves, taking advantage of of the padding technique with polyurethane foam, a novelty of the time destined to revolutionize the manufacture of sofas and armchairs. The padding made it possible to create a soft piece of furniture, to cover it and fix it through a large metal vice so as to form soft folds around the whole person.

In the new version, Soriana is available as an armchair, chaise-longue, two or three-seater sofa and pouf. This is what we can define as a design culture operation, the result of a conscious evolution, thanks to the work done by Cassina LAB, the collaboration between the Cassina Research and Development Center and Poli.design of the Milan Polytechnic. The original polyurethane structure has been completely replaced by a series of bags filled with BioFoamĀ® microspheres, the first patented foam with an organic base composed of biopolymers obtained from natural resources. This material is durable, suitable for long-term use and is biodegradable, so it can be industrially composted.

The comfort of the seat is further increased thanks to a blown fiber padding made from 100% recycled Pet from Plastic BankĀ®: thanks to the involvement of local communities, the plastic is collected before it reaches the sea, favoring a conscious economy and circular. The same material is also used for the padding of the lining that wraps the structure like a soft quilt.

For the new version, Cassina has introduced a selection of color combinations that combine the rich fabrics and soft leathers with the metal grip painted in black, blue, amaranth, green or white. To satisfy the requests of lovers of the original version, Soriana is also available with a chromed vice. The aesthetic is further enriched by stitching made with covered buttons, both on the seat and back cushions.