You have to go back to 1923 to discover the origins of what is one of the greatest companies in the history of Italian design. In the early 1920s, Gaetano Borsani founded the Atelier di Varedo, which later became Arredamenti Borsani Varedo (ABV).
Initially, production revolved around the idea of ‘classical style furniture,’ but soon, also thanks to the talent of Gaetano’s son Osvaldo, the company took a different direction. In 1932, a new factory was opened together with the studio shop in Via Montenapoleone in Milan. The company’s new direction was sanctioned in 1933 when, at the 5th Milan Triennale, Borsani, together with Cairoli and Varisco, presented the ‘minimal house‘ project. This space had a rationalist layout in which it is the furniture that arouses interest: the individual piece of furniture acquires its own autonomy and relational capacity. Thanks to this project, Borsani won the ‘Silver Medal Diploma’.
From craft workshop to industrial production: Roberto Mango’s T
In the years to come, Borsani would devote himself not only to the furnishings of the houses of the Lombardy bourgeoisie but also to those of professional offices. This area would soon become the company’s flagship. At the beginning of the 1950s, Osvaldo Borsani began considering transitioning from a typical artisanal production, such as his workshop, to a new industrial context. This is how Tecno, a new company whose distinctive feature is its ability to combine technology with furnishing products, was established. At the same time, its logo, the capital ‘T’ designed by Roberto Mango, was also created to represent the rigour of form, the focus of technology, and the rationality of design.
First major projects
Tecno’s artisanal DNA immediately translates into the ability to create customised solutions even for large spaces: an example for all is the design of the ENI spaces, ordered by Enrico Mattei. In 1970, the Centro Progetti Tecno was founded. It saw a pool of architects, engineers and graphic designers at work and, from then on, operated as a compact group, giving the company a clear and strong identity.
Norman Foster and a revolution called Nomos
Collaboration with Norman Foster in the 1980s became fundamental in defining the new ‘Nomos‘ office system, a reworking of the work table concept with a modular setup. It was designed to be a shared structure and realized with technological materials and futuristic design.
In 1988 the company was awarded the prestigious Compasso d’oro for the first time for its contribution to the quality of architecture. Over the years, Tecno has won five Compasso d’Or, the most recent in 2014 for the ‘Vela’ chair. This essential, streamlined seat has no visible mechanical elements but can adapt the posture to the person’s weight thanks to advanced responsive technology.
Tecno expands worldwide
In 2008, the new Milan office opened in the former toll booths of Porta Garibaldi in Piazza XXV Aprile. After a long conservative restoration work, the buildings were returned to the city, maintaining their appearance in the 19th-century design. Today, they house the Tecno furniture collection.
In the 2000s, Tecno opened offices in New York, London, Madrid, Paris, Warsaw, Dubai, and Seoul. In 2015, it acquired the archive and brand name of the historic magazine Ottagono and, in 2017, the majority stake in Zanotta, one of the most loved companies in Italian design. This added to the historic offer for the office – a point of excellence for Tecno – an equally complete proposal for the home and hospitality world, an area of excellence for Zanotta.
The Holy See at the Biennale
In 2018, for the first time, the Holy See participated in the Venice Biennale with its own pavilion, the Vatican Chapels, with a sequence of ten chapels created by as many architects. Norman Foster chose Tecno to build his chapel, thus confirming the privileged bond with the company for a collaboration that has led to many prestigious projects.
The future of the workplace
The ongoing digital transformation, which profoundly changes the workplace, among other things, was bound to impact a company like Tecno. Starting in 2014, Tecno began working on workspaces that can care for people’s well-being with IoT solutions, responsive seating, and walls that enable whatever technology supports carrying out daily activities.
Learn about other outstanding companies of Made in Italy design.