Foglio wall light

Tobia Scarpa, son of architect Carlo Scarpa, worked closely with his wife Afra on designs for a wide range of worldwide brands like Flos, Cassina, Knoll, and B&B. They collaborated to create a new lexicon for affordable luxury design that draws inspiration from evolving technologies and a wide array of materials.


The Instituto Universitario di Architettura in Venice was where both Tobia and Afra earned their degrees in architecture.


They launched their professional careers in the late 1950s, initially collaborating with the Venini glassworks.


They started their own design firm in Montebelluna in the year 1960. In the early 1960s, they began designing furniture for the Italian company Cassina. Pieces like the Chair Model 917 were founded on an appreciation for luxurious materials and an awareness of the need for functional beauty. People who wanted contemporary pieces that wouldn't look out of place among their antiques flocked to them. The "Bastiano" sofa, loveseat, and tables they created for Gavina and that Knoll later reissued are all iconic examples of this design ethos and huge commercial successes.


Scarpa and Pier Castiglioni were asked to create prototypes for the lighting company Flos, founded by Dino Gavina. The "Papillion" lamp he created for Flos in 1973 was an early example of the brand's adoption of halogen lighting.


Later in life, Tobia and Afra Scarpa expanded their practice to include commercial architecture and interior design. The Benetton apparel brand was the recipient of some of their most recognizable work. For them, they are responsible for a number of notable interiors, including the one at their first Italian flagship shop. Tobia has taught at the Venice Institute of Technology's Industrial Design program.