The reissue of our dreams, no less. Afra & Tobia Scarpa originally designed the ‘Monk’ chair for Angelo Molteni in 1973. It was the first step of what would become a rich and fruitful relationship between the couple and the family manufacturer, and the chair quickly acquired legendary appeal among the design cognoscenti.
The ‘Monk’ is a proudly handsome creature – with leather (or canvas) back and seat stretched over a tubular steel frame, resting on wooden legs, arranged perpendicularly. The Scarpas felt it had a monastic simplicity, hence the name; we wouldn’t mind living in their monastery.
In its re-edition, Molteni is presenting the ‘Monk’ with a solid wood frame in American walnut, black oak or coffee oak, and with the addition of a lower, wider armchair version.
Musing on the reissue, Tobia Scarpa said: ‘We must allow what the past gifts us to continue expressing itself, to continue living; sometimes we must allow it to resonate in the present, to sing, in order to grasp all its potential and magic.’ Hallelujah.
Salone del Mobile 2025 takes place 8-13 April. Check our full Milan Design Week 2025 guide for the must-sees
This article appears in the May 2025 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands from 3 April, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today
The original 'Monk' chair was designed in 1973 for Angelo Molteni
Rivet detail on the leg of the 'Monk' chair
The 'Monk' lounge chair
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