Gio Ponti’s Superleggera entered Cassina’s catalogue in 1957. Designated model 699, the chair draws on the lightweight seating traditions of Chiavari in Liguria. Its name describes the ambition to reduce weight while retaining the familiar arrangement of a wooden dining chair. Cassina gives a minimum weight of 1,700 grams for the design.
The frame uses ash, with a beech surround at the seat where greater resistance to loading is needed. The legs have a triangular section measuring only eighteen millimetres. Machine preparation is followed by hand finishing and assembly, including the application and cleaning of glue. The classic version completes this narrow frame with a hand-woven seat.
The chair’s slender vertical members and restrained backrest make the open spaces especially prominent. Small changes in section carry the design, rather than a large shell or padded enclosure. Superleggera demonstrates how modern furniture could develop through close attention to an established craft type. Its material economy depends on the relationship between timber, joints and the woven surface, with each element performing a clearly visible task.
Bentwood modern design armchair
