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    Albini Desk

    Franco Albini 1928

    Franco Albini’s 1928 desk combines glass, steel and wood with striking clarity and balance. A clear demonstration of Albini’s rationalist design philosophy and minimalist aesthetic, the design derives its appeal through simplicity of form and celebration of material, without extraneous ornamentation.

    Finishes

    • color White Lacquer
    • color Ebonized Oak
    • color Chrome, Polished
    • color Clear Glass

    Dimensions

    Additional Info

    Construction and Details
    • Frame and legs are square steel tube with polished chrome finish
    • Top is ½” clear tempered glass
    • Pedestal drawer is either ebonized oak or white lacquer and mounts to the right side of desk

    After graduating with a degree in architecture from Milan Politecnico, Franco Albini straddled the fields of furniture, product design, architecture, urban planning and interior design. While working under famed Italian designer Gio Ponti, Albini developed an appreciation for combinations of traditional craft techniques and modern forms.

    As his career evolved, Albini became an important member of the Italian Neo-Rationalist architecture movement. His portfolio is recognized for remarkably transparent furniture designs, which often feature very basic, near-raw materials and make little effort to conceal their internal structure or processes of production.

    In 1949, Knoll introduced a desk, and two chairs — one with metal legs and one with wooden legs — designed by Albini. The simple desk, a representative example of Albini’s aesthetic of transparency, is still in production by Knoll today.