What the work is
Afra and Tobia Scarpa developed Soriana in 1969. Cassina’s account presents the seating as an exploration of moulded polyurethane held by an external metal structure. This brief addresses that principle across the family, including the sofa.
How it was made
The surrounding grip gathers the upholstered volume into shape. Cassina’s 2021 revision uses a different filling system, including BioFoam microspheres and recycled PET fibre; those materials should not be projected back onto the original design.
What works
The restraint is legible. Rather than hiding all structural expression under upholstery, the metal element makes the relationship between yielding volume and containment part of what the viewer notices first.
What does not
A shared silhouette can conceal changed construction. Comparing vintage and reissued examples requires attention to their actual filling and supports; the later edition’s environmental claims do not describe the earlier object.
What it influenced
Soriana received the Compasso d’Oro in 1970. Its later reintroduction shows how a manufacturer can preserve a recognizable design while changing materials, creating a useful case for discussing what continuity means in a reissue.
Is it worth your time
Worth looking at for the boundary between furniture structure and upholstery. Compare the original design account with the later specification. The interesting question is which relationships survive the material change, rather than whether the outline looks unchanged.
