BIOGRAPHY

Born in Florence in 1946, Alessandro Becchi began his career as a designer after completing his studies at ISIA in Florence.

In 1972 he was invited to participate in the prestigious exhibition Italy: The New Domestic Landscape held at the Modern Museum of Art in New York. Shortly later, in 1979, he obtained, with the sofa bed Anfibio, the Report of Honour at the XI edition of the Compasso d'Oro ADI Award.

Inaugurated with Ampibio, the human and professional relationship between Giovannetti and Becchi covers almost two decades, from the early 1970s until the premature death of the designer. A long and constant collaboration relationship as an external professional that sees Becchi design a series of sofas with bed function – Only You, Brando, Brandostar, Diletto –, conversation and modular groups – Crepuscolo, Maxi, Nonnamaria –, as well as the famous series of armchairs Le Bugie.

In 1985 Becchi designed Galileo, an innovative seating system (which originated a series of imitations) based on a single basic structure able to guarantee different furnishing and functional solutions – conversation sofa and corner – as well as making possible the extension on a painted wooden top, usable as a service top.

Died in Florence in 1987, his works are still part of the permanent design collections of some of the most important national museums – the Triennale di Milano – and international: MoMA in New York, Houston (Texas) and La Jolla (California), Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein, Design Since of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Museo de Arte di São Paulo in Brazil and Museo de Cultura y Arte in Costa Rica.

Anfibio Sofa Bed, 1970