The birth of Up5_6
In 1968, Italian designer Gaetano Pesce had a somewhat unusual idea while in the shower. What if a chair could take on the characteristics of a sponge, being squished in and then returning to its original volume when released? This is how the iconic armchair Up5 was created.
Sitting in this chair, inside the womb, makes you feel protected, just like a mother’s embrace.
Pesce began by experimenting with polyurethane and vacuum-packing. Soon he developed a model that could inflate within seconds when released from its plastic wrapping. The chair was thus named ‘Up’.B&B Italia, back then still C&B, with their knowledge of polyurethane injection molding, was selected for the manufacturing of the chair. Up5_6 made its debut at the 1969 Milan furniture fair, where the unpacking became a presentation on its own. Various celebrities became obsessed with the design in the years that followed, having even Salvador Dalí posing in one.
This forms however only one part of the series’ wide success. The expressive shapes of the Up5 armchair and Up6 ottoman remind us vividly of the female body, its voluptuousness taking us back to the ancient fertility goddesses. The armchair has been given many names through history, from La Mamma and Big Mamma to Donna. Sitting in this chair, inside the womb, makes you feel protected, just like a mother’s embrace.The Up series is thus a tribute to women, while also alluding to a darker meaning. Being often tied to each other, the ottoman represents a chain and a ball pulling her down, symbolizing a woman’s everyday burden of life. For Pesce, this was the image of a prisoner.
The revival of Up5_6
Gaetano Pesce is known for evoking mixed feelings with his designs. On one side, Up5_6 looks like a playful, comfortable seating arrangement, inviting the spectator to nestle inside. On the other, the designer forces us to challenge societal norms. Amid the feminist manifesto, UP5_6 became the symbol of a generation.Although the series’ success with the public, production suddenly stopped in 1973.It was then discovered that Freon, the gas that made the inflation of the armchair possible, was causing damage to the ozone layer. Luckily in the year 2000, almost 50 years after its original production, B&B Italia was able to create a version without the toxic Freon gas. This new production became the Up2000 series.For our version of the armchair, we reupholstered both pieces in green bouclé. This fabric is made from looped yarns, enhancing the soft and comfortable feel of the design. We opted for a more elastic type of bouclé, which works better for round shapes.
Amid the feminist manifesto, UP5_6 became the symbol of a generation.
Up5_6 has a long and rich history that has left its imprint on the design world.Fluctuating between the positive and the negative, it is still a design that has a lot of value today. The design remains iconic, its message still relevant after many years.