H G insider
66 | AUSTRALIAN HOUSE & GARDEN
SACCO BEANBAG
Design moment
Hatched at a time when boundaries were being tested,
the sacco is the ultimate easy chair, writes Chris Pearson.Photography courtesy of Zanotta Spa – Italy (main image) & Space (all other images).“so we began thinking about a material
that would allow for this adaptability.”
drawing inspiration from a peasant’s
mattress filled with chestnut leaves,
they devised the sacco, or sack, chair.
Taking an outer liner, they stuffed it with
‘semi-fluid’ materials, ones that would
mould to the sitter. First, the trio tried
marbles (too heavy), then mini ping-pong
balls (too expensive). Then they spotted
polystyrene, used in the building trade
for heat- and sound-proofing. eureka!
next they made vinyl
prototypes, which
languished in their studio.
“We never thought anyone
would want to make it,” said Gatti.
How wrong they were. When a Us
magazine wanted to feature the trio’s
latest building designs, the architects
included a photo of their prototype.
A few months later, they received a
call from Macy’s department store,T
he year was 1968. Flower power
was flourishing and women’s
liberation was finding its feet. in an
era of newfound freedoms, homeowners,
too, were looking for more relaxed
interiors. The conversation pit was de
rigueur, modular sofas extended into
ottomans and the hip slept on waterbeds.
designers pursued novel, often
deconstructed, furnishing solutions.
Zanotta had released its frameless
Throw-Away sofa in 1965 and its Blowinflatable chair in 1967. Three italian
architects, Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini
and Franco Teodoro (pictured above,
from left), had their own ideas.
“We were interested in designing
flexible objects that could adapt to
different situations,” said Gatti in 1988.saying it had seen the article – and
wanted 10,000 saccos.
Fortuitously, Gatti, Paolini and
Teodoro had recently had a stand
opposite Zanotta at the eurodomus
trade fair. Thinking Zanotta might be
the perfect business partner, the trio
took their prototype to the company
founder, Aurelio Zanotta. “He
immediately understood the idea
behind the project,” says Zanotta’s
daniela de Ponti. “The sacco
anatomical easy chair was born.”WHAT IT MEANS TO US
Zanotta’s faith in the sacco was just the
beginning for the beanbag, as it became
known. inexpensive, low maintenance
and portable, millions have graced living
rooms, playrooms and beach houses,
the concept copied in countless profiles
and with covers in vinyl, leather and
cotton-nylon mixes. Zanotta’s original
outsold anything else in its catalogue at
the time. And, as it approaches its half
century, the sacco is still a bestseller at
Zanotta, even if there are many copies,
says de Ponti.
Confirmation of its iconic status?
sydney’s Powerhouse Museum has a
vibrant pink one on permanent display.
Australian safety regulations require
that the beads be sold separately from
the cover, accompanied by a warning
not to eat the beans. despite that
constraint, the sacco moulds itself
beautifully to our laidback lifestyle. #In the ’60s, people wanted to relax
in new ways... generally not upright.ABOVE from left Gatti, Paolini and Teodoro.
A 2000 ad campaign demonstrating the Sacco’s
support and mouldability. Beloved by the
fashion-forward, now even groovier in Missoni
Jessie (left) and Zanotta Solid fabrics.