Catilina Armchair

From the moment it was first presented at the XI Triennale in Milan in 1957, Catilina became one of Luigi Caccia Dominioni’s classics. He loved the design so much that guests in his studio would settle down by his desk to chat in these chairs.

At first glance you would be forgiven for assuming this unusual object to be unfinished. Instead Caccia Dominioni created both a new chair and defined how to sit in it. Catilina is not designed for relaxation and letting go but for thoughtfulness and elegance. You could almost be transported back to ancient Rome ensconced in the seat of the Roman senator, Lucio Sergio Catilina, after whom the chair is named. In turn, the chair harks back to medieval thrones or the horseshoe armchairs so typical in classical Chinese furniture. Catilina is essentially a stroke of the pen, a play on curves, an object that - as Caccia Dominioni liked to say himself - is “ethereal, no more than a series of curved iron bars”. Whatever interpretation you give it, Catilina embodies a product designed for comfort, thanks to the well- upholstered cushion, and dignity. When you place your arms on the upper rim you can’t help but feel regal in contrast to the sense of abandon when you sink back into a sofa. Is it a chair? An armchair? Or should we simply call it a “throne”?