927 Armchair

Toshiyuki Kita for Cassina — Wink Armchair (Model 111), 1980

The Wink is a chair that thinks. Designed in 1980 by Japanese designer Toshiyuki Kita for Cassina, it bridges two design traditions — the ergonomic precision of Italian furniture engineering and the floor-based, body-aware comfort culture of Japan. “Sitting on Wink means sitting on the floor,” Kita has said, “and when you are seated there, according to oriental tradition, your spirit rises.” The result is an armchair that is also a chaise longue, a reading chair, a recliner, and a conversation piece all at once. The base folds forward to convert from an upright seat to a fully reclined position; the split headrest — its two independently tilting panels an unmistakable silhouette — adjusts by means of side knobs to cradle the head at any angle.

The Wink won the Kitaro Kunii Industrial Design Award in 1981 and was acquired almost immediately for the permanent collections of MoMA in New York, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, and the Vitra Design Museum. It remains in production today in leather and fabric, with the characteristic coloured side handles available in a range of shades. Its wit, formal inventiveness, and genuine versatility make it one of the most distinctive armchairs of the twentieth century.

About the Designer: Toshiyuki Kita (b. 1942, Osaka) graduated from Naniwa College of Design in 1964 and moved to Italy in 1969, where he began a long collaboration with Cassina. His practice moves between Milan and Osaka, and his work has appeared in the collections of MoMA, the Pompidou, and the Vitra Design Museum.

Specifications:

Designer: Toshiyuki Kita

Year: 1980 (Kitaro Kunii Industrial Design Award 1981)

Frame: Tubular steel with base that folds forward

Padding: Polyurethane foam and polyester batting

Upholstery: Leather or fabric (Cassina catalogue, multiple colours)

Headrest: Split, two independently reclining panels

Convertible: Armchair to chaise longue in one movement

Country of manufacture: Italy

Lead time: 12–16 weeks from order confirmation

Warranty: Cassina manufacturer’s warranty applies

Collections: MoMA New York, Centre Pompidou Paris, Vitra Design Museum

Available Through Le Belle Arti: Le Belle Arti is an authorised Cassina dealer. The Wink is available to order in leather or fabric, in your choice of colour. Contact us or visit our Edmonton showroom.

For full specifications, materials, and configuration options, visit the Cassina official website.

Material: Steel frame, polyurethane foam, leather or fabric | Year: 1965 | Collection: 927 | Style: Armchair

Tobia Scarpa (born 1935 in Venice) is an Italian architect and designer and the son of Carlo Scarpa. His 927 armchair for Cassina (1965) is an early example of the refined upholstered furniture that defined Italian luxury design in the post-war era.

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