Vico Magistretti Maralunga Three-Seat Sofa, Italian 1970s

Vico Magistretti Maralunga 40 Three-Seat Sofa, c. 2015. Upholstery: Cassina Steel Elastic Cassina label present 28.25” D x 103.88” W x 37.38” H The story of the Maralunga sofa is one of the best in design lore: As it goes, when Cassina founder first saw the prototype in the mid-1970s by Italian furniture designer Vico Magistretti, he was so disgusted by it that he punched it, breaking the back of the sofa, which crumpled over itself and took the shape the piece would eventually take. Whether it was his accidental adjustment or further consideration of the design, Cassina clearly came around: His company debuted Magistretti’s design in 1973. The Maralunga is characterized by what looks like a slumped backrest but is really an adjustable-height headrest, moved by way of a bicycle chain that runs underneath its plush foam cushions. “My intention with Maralunga was to design an object that represented a whole range of interior architecture with a familiar feel,” Magistretti said of the des