In 2020, Cassina entrusted Cassina LAB [1] — a research and innovation platform developed with POLI.design — with launching a pilot project for the ecological transition of a symbol of Italian design: the Soriana armchair, designed by Afra and Tobia Scarpa in 1969 and awarded the Compasso d'Oro in 1970.
Soriana represents an archetype of comfort and technical avant-garde, achieved without a rigid internal frame but through a shape created by compressing soft materials with a visible metal clamp. The challenge of the project was to keep the formal identity intact while replacing all environmentally critical materials.
Through an interdisciplinary research process, Cassina LAB identified alternative materials: the internal structure is now made of BioFoam®, a 100% biodegradable PLA-based foam, while the outer padding is made of Aerelle® Blue fibre, derived from recycled PET collected from the oceans through the PlasticBank® initiative. The clamp's metal is coated using low-impact processes, and the finishes are fully customisable.
The result is a new version of the Soriana 944 that respects the aesthetics and comfort of the original, while enriching it with contemporary values [2]: durability, traceability, compostability and environmental responsibility.
[1] Cassina LAB
Soriana 944 is the first product to benefit from the Cassina Digital Materials Library, a tool created to map sustainable materials based on mechanical performance, carbon footprint and recyclability.
[2] Contemporary values
Beyond its technical and environmental value, the new Soriana project educates the public towards a new aesthetic and ethical sensibility. Transparency about material composition, traceability of sources and communication of sustainability become an integral part of the product.
