Giancarlo Piretti Plia Folding Chair in Smoke

• item. folding chair
• designer. Giancarlo Piretti
• manufacturer. Anonima Castelli
• model. Plia
• period. 1970s
• country. Italy
• style. Mid-Century Modern
• materials. chrome-plated steel, aluminium alloy joints, smoke polycarbonate
• color. smoke, chrome
• dimensions. chair 46 × 45 × 76 cm (open), 46 × 4.5 × 89 cm (folded)
• condition. Good vintage condition. Structurally sound. The chrome remains bright and well preserved, with light traces of oxidation near the feet. The polycarbonate shows scattered scratches, marks and light edge crazing on the backrest, consistent with age and use. All plastic feet are present; the retaining pins that secure them are missing, allowing slight movement.
• notes. Original manufacturer’s mark present.
• reference. #2065

DESIGN CONTEXT

Designed by Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli, the Plia folding chair is one of the most influential seating designs of the twentieth century. Introduced in 1969, it revolutionised the folding chair through an ingenious three-disc hinge mechanism that combined functionality, elegance and exceptional compactness.

This original example features the sought-after smoke polycarbonate seat and backrest paired with a chrome-plated tubular steel frame. Its transparent surfaces give the chair remarkable visual lightness while allowing it to integrate naturally into both contemporary and vintage interiors. More than fifty years after its introduction, the Plia folding chair remains part of the permanent collections of major international museums and continues to be recognised as a milestone of Italian industrial design.

This chair retains its original Anonima Castelli mark and presents signs of age consistent with use. The frame is structurally sound, the chrome remains bright overall, and the smoke polycarbonate preserves its distinctive character, making this an authentic collector’s example of one of Italy’s greatest design classics.