Cattaneo on the high plateau of Agra in Luino, also built by Mollino between 1952-3. Mollino frequently made chairs using solid wood elements which he imbued with the style of Catalan designer Antoni Gaudí, whose work inspired them. The distinguishing feature of the matching chairs for Casa Cattaneo is that the seat, back, and legs are all made of plywood. The back legs are a continuous extension of the backrest, and via a bow lead to the front legs, which in turn become the seat. One is almost led to believe that the entire chair was built of a slit and bent rectangular plate (like Gerald Summer’s plywood armchair), but appearances deceive. In processing the chair, parts of the seat, base, and backrest would normally overlap. This visual sleight of hand requires costly individual production involving craftsmanship. Apparently, Mollino found the resulting fascination with how the structure managed to stand to be well worth the effort. PD