UP5 armchair and UP6 ottoman by Gaetano Pesce

The form A bulbous one-piece armchair made from polyurethane foam and covered with stretch knit upholstery, and a matching ball-shaped ottoman.

What makes it special The UP5 armchair and UP6 ottoman were a sensation from the day they were first shown at the Milan Furniture Fair in September 1969. Known as ‘La Donna’ due to its resemblance to an exaggerated female form, the design has always been presented by its creator, Gaetano Pesce, as a comment on the ongoing suffering of women (hence the ball-and-chain-style ottoman, the UP6). However, this was only part of the reason the chair had such a reaction when it debuted. Originally made from a membrane of polyurethane – much like the inner tube of a truck tyre – it was sold flat-packed in a PVC envelope and would self-inflate when the packaging was opened. This surprising ability was due to a small amount of Freon gas added to the polyurethane material during manufacture. Unfortunately, while this clever trick gained instant media attention and launched the names of Gaetano Pesce and C&B Italia (which became B&B in 1973) to the world, the chair was discontinued just four years later when Freon was found to be a harmful greenhouse gas. The entire UP series was then re-released in 2000 by B&B Italia, and the experimental self-inflating material replaced with more conventional polyurethane foam. To celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2019, B&B Italia has announced a special edition UP5_6, with original beige and petrol-green Soara striped fabric. This and six other colourways were launched at the Milan Furniture Fair in April.

Expect to pay $9910 for Anniversary Soara striped fabric (Category S) in Red/ Beige or Green/Beige. Space; (02) 8339 7588 or spacefurniture.com.au