Details
About this piece
Mole Chair by Sergio Rodrigues.
Named for its relaxed, soft appearance—‘mole’ in Portuguese—the design originated with a 1957 commission from photographer Otto Stupakoff, who requested a “spread-out” sofa for his studio. Rodrigues is credited as the father of modern design in Brazil for introducing a distinctly Brazilian formal vocabulary through this model.
The chair sat in the OCA showroom window on the Praça General Osório in Ipanema for years with limited local interest, before it was manufactured in Italy for European consumption. It received international recognition after winning first prize in the IV Concorso Internazionale del Mobile in Cantu, Italy, in 1961, where Arne Jacobsen observed that it communicated the characteristics of Brazilian culture.
Dimensions: 105 x 120 x 82 cm
Also available: Mole Chair with footstool.
Named for its relaxed, soft appearance—‘mole’ in Portuguese—the design originated with a 1957 commission from photographer Otto Stupakoff, who requested a “spread-out” sofa for his studio. Rodrigues is credited as the father of modern design in Brazil for introducing a distinctly Brazilian formal vocabulary through this model.
The chair sat in the OCA showroom window on the Praça General Osório in Ipanema for years with limited local interest, before it was manufactured in Italy for European consumption. It received international recognition after winning first prize in the IV Concorso Internazionale del Mobile in Cantu, Italy, in 1961, where Arne Jacobsen observed that it communicated the characteristics of Brazilian culture.
Dimensions: 105 x 120 x 82 cm
Also available: Mole Chair with footstool.
- Brand & Designer
- Arne Jacobsen
- Color
- Brown
- Style
- Brazilian
- Material
- Leather
- Condition
- Good
- Dimensions (cm)
- W 105D 102H 82
Design Story
Sergio Rodrigues is widely regarded as the father of modern Brazilian furniture design, celebrated for creating pieces that combined modernism with the warmth, richness, and relaxed spirit of Brazilian culture.
Born in 1927 in Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigues trained as an architect before turning to furniture design during a period when Brazil was developing its own modern cultural identity. While European modernism often favored strict minimalism, Rodrigues introduced a softer and more expressive approach built around comfort, natural materials, and craftsmanship.
His most iconic creation, the Mole Chair, became an international symbol of Brazilian design. Designed in 1957, the chair featured a heavy wooden frame paired with oversized leather cushions suspended by straps, creating a look that felt both luxurious and deeply informal. It challenged the idea that modern furniture needed to be rigid or austere.
Throughout his career, Rodrigues embraced native Brazilian woods and traditional artisanal techniques, helping establish a uniquely Brazilian design language rooted in texture, sensuality, and relaxed living. His furniture often felt architectural yet inviting, balancing sculptural presence with exceptional comfort.
Today, Sergio Rodrigues remains one of the most influential figures in Latin American design history. His work continues to appear in galleries, luxury interiors, and design collections around the world, representing a vision of modernism that feels human, warm, and unmistakably Brazilian.
Born in 1927 in Rio de Janeiro, Rodrigues trained as an architect before turning to furniture design during a period when Brazil was developing its own modern cultural identity. While European modernism often favored strict minimalism, Rodrigues introduced a softer and more expressive approach built around comfort, natural materials, and craftsmanship.
His most iconic creation, the Mole Chair, became an international symbol of Brazilian design. Designed in 1957, the chair featured a heavy wooden frame paired with oversized leather cushions suspended by straps, creating a look that felt both luxurious and deeply informal. It challenged the idea that modern furniture needed to be rigid or austere.
Throughout his career, Rodrigues embraced native Brazilian woods and traditional artisanal techniques, helping establish a uniquely Brazilian design language rooted in texture, sensuality, and relaxed living. His furniture often felt architectural yet inviting, balancing sculptural presence with exceptional comfort.
Today, Sergio Rodrigues remains one of the most influential figures in Latin American design history. His work continues to appear in galleries, luxury interiors, and design collections around the world, representing a vision of modernism that feels human, warm, and unmistakably Brazilian.
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