Details
About this piece
The ‘Tonico’ lounge chair by Brazilian architect and designer Sergio Rodrigues (1927–2014), designed circa 1963 and named for his brother-in-law who admired the model. A pair is available; price is per chair. Newly reupholstered.
Rodrigues, together with Joaquim Tenreiro and José Zanine Caldas, helped shift Brazilian furniture into industrial design and bring it to international attention. Trained as an architect, he began his career on the Civic Center project alongside David Azambuja, Flávio Régis do Nascimento and Olavo Redig de Campos. His peak period in the 1950s–60s aligned with modernism, integrating Brazilian identity and traditional materials—leather, wood and rattan—and foregrounding native cultural references. As he noted, “The piece of furniture is not just the shape, not just the material which is made but also something inside it. It’s the piece’s spirit. It’s the Brazilian spirit. It’s the Brazilian furniture.”
Details:
- Design: ‘Tonico’ lounge chair, circa 1963
- Attribution: Named after Rodrigues’ brother-in-law
- Availability: Pair available; price per chair
- Condition: Newly reupholstered
- Measurements: Exact measurements available on request
Rodrigues, together with Joaquim Tenreiro and José Zanine Caldas, helped shift Brazilian furniture into industrial design and bring it to international attention. Trained as an architect, he began his career on the Civic Center project alongside David Azambuja, Flávio Régis do Nascimento and Olavo Redig de Campos. His peak period in the 1950s–60s aligned with modernism, integrating Brazilian identity and traditional materials—leather, wood and rattan—and foregrounding native cultural references. As he noted, “The piece of furniture is not just the shape, not just the material which is made but also something inside it. It’s the piece’s spirit. It’s the Brazilian spirit. It’s the Brazilian furniture.”
Details:
- Design: ‘Tonico’ lounge chair, circa 1963
- Attribution: Named after Rodrigues’ brother-in-law
- Availability: Pair available; price per chair
- Condition: Newly reupholstered
- Measurements: Exact measurements available on request
- Brand & Designer
- Sergio Rodrigues
- Color
- White
- Style
- Mid-Century Modern
- Material
- Rosewood
- Condition
- Good
- Dimensions (cm)
- W 81D 104H 75
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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