Leather and polystyrene beads
Not on view
It is hard to think of a more disruptive chair than the Sacco in its embodiment of Italian Radical Design, a movement that emerged in the late 1960s and rebelled against modernism, rationalism, and consumer culture. Its name comes from the Italian word for sack, referring to its undefined shape. Gatti describes it as “like snow”—“you throw yourself into it and make an imprint.” A leather bag filled to two-thirds capacity with polystyrene balls, the Sacco is a versatile, oddly ergonomic seat that easily adapts to any body in any position—even fully laid back. The designer was inspired by “old mattresses stuffed with chestnut leaves, widely used by peasants.”
Pirouette: Turning Points in Design, January 26, 2025–November 15, 2025
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