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
-
Messika’s fluid jewellery is given a textural twistThe Parisian brand borrows a textural finish previously reserved for high jewellery with its new collection, ‘Move Ciselé’
-
This ingenious London office expansion was built in an on-site workshopNew Wave London and Thomas-McBrien Architects make a splash with this glulam extension built in the very studio it sought to transform. Here's how they did it
-
The bespoke Jaguar E-Type GTO melds elements from every era of the classic sports carECD Automotive Design’s one-off commission caters to a client who wanted to combine the greatest hits of Jaguar’s E-Type along with modern conveniences and more power
-
Delve into the Wallpaper* Design Directory 2025, on sale nowIn the July issue of Wallpaper*, find a photographic love letter to Milan Design Week, plus the best new furniture, lighting, kitchens, bathrooms and more
-
Tokyo design studio We+ transforms microalgae into coloursCould microalgae be the sustainable pigment of the future? A Japanese research project investigates
-
Delvis (Un)Limited turns a Brera shopfront into a live-in design installationWhat happens when collectible design becomes part of a live performance? The Theatre of Things, curated by Joseph Grima and Valentina Ciuffi, invited designers to live with their work – and let the public look in
-
Naoto Fukasawa sparks children’s imaginations with play sculpturesThe Japanese designer creates an intuitive series of bold play sculptures, designed to spark children’s desire to play without thinking
-
Inside the Shakti Design Residency, taking Indian craftsmanship to Alcova 2025The new initiative pairs emerging talents with some of India’s most prestigious ateliers, resulting in intricately crafted designs, as seen at Alcova 2025 in Milan
-
Faye Toogood comes up roses at Milan Design Week 2025Japanese ceramics specialist Noritake’s design collection blossoms with a bold floral series by Faye Toogood
-
6:AM create a spellbinding Murano glass showcase in Milan’s abandoned public shower stallsWith its first solo exhibition, ‘Two-Fold Silence’, 6:AM unveils an enchanting Murano glass installation beneath Piscina Cozzi
-
Dimoremilano and Loro Piana channel 1970s cinema in decadent Milan displayAt Milan Design Week 2025, Dimorestudio has directed and staged an immersive, film-inspired installation to present new furniture and decor for Loro Piana
