Architect and designer Mario Bellini was a titan within the industry, his enduring influence in Italian furniture and design unquantifiable. Receiving the Golden Compass Award eight times, 25 of his works are in the permanent design collection of the MoMA, which dedicated a personal retrospective to him in 1987. The Amanta Sofa, now produced by HAY about 60 years later, marks the first Italian reissue for the brand – along with a materiality refresh, the colors are just right for 2025. “From the beginning, Mette and I insisted that HAY should be an international brand, not just Danish,” says HAY cofounder Rolf Hay. “The Italian design of this period has had a huge impact on the way we look at design today.” With one-seater, two-seater, three-seater, and four-seater options, this modular lounger, originally designed in 1966, stays mod, in more ways than one.
Inspired by the structural logic of the Barcelona Chair by Mies van der Rohe, the modular system is designed around the floating cushions that fit neatly into the provided shell, intuitive and thoughtful. The low-slung silhouette of the Amanta collection was revolutionary for its time, relaxed pitch and supportive, yet plushy seating marking a newer, more laid-back approach to furniture. Modular units spoke to a flexibility in arrangement, the first of its kind to do so.
Material interaction is interesting here, a channel running down the back of the sofa, giving the Amanta visual interest wherever it happens to be seen. A plush back invites us to stay, and the impermanence of position allows us to go – a respectful and endearing take on seating, one that contemporary designers would do well to note.
The color palette speaks to the timelessness of the collection, contrasting accents with upholstery, creating a lovely conversation. Bold, technical, and beautiful, Italian design of this era was highly humanist, a yearning for not necessarily the finer things in life, but the good, lasting ones. A lake blue, emerald green, and blush mauve suggest optimism, ushering in a more expansive notion of what sofas could be. The shell cradles the upholstered portion, holding its vertices partially – the softness extends outward, supported by its metal counterparts, both stronger together than apart.
Lastly, this refresh doesn’t solely exist on the surface – HAY dove deep into the materiality of the Amanta Sofa, discarding the metal for 99% post-consumer plastic. Even better, the foam is 94% biomass balance foam, ensuring a plushy yet supportive seat for years to come.
To learn more about the Amanta Sofa by Mario Bellini for HAY, please visit hay.com.
Photography courtesy of HAY.
