Osvaldo Borsani (1911-1985) was an Italian designer and architect, born into a family of furniture makers. Always a „modernist“ and fascinated by innovation and technology he founded the manufacturer ‚Tecno‘ with his twin brother Fulgenzio.

In the course of rationalization and the rise of the service society, they planned to incorporate modern manufacturing techniques into the still very artisan furniture-making process to achieve high quality at less cost. In the 50s they presented the d70, a versatile adjustable sofa, followed by the p40, an equally multifunctional armchair (dubbed the „machine for seating“).

Also in these years, Borsani developed a series of office desks and conference tables, often recognizable by beveled plates at different angles, for example, the t95 – sometimes with added drawers or cabinets. The executive desk shown here impresses with its length of 2,18m, the elegant top with recessed leather writing surface, and the three slim drawers underneath, based on a double aluminum pedestal.

‚Tecno‘ over the years became very successful and in the 70s nearly dominated office design, working with architects and designers like Norman Foster and Gae Aulenti, presenting furniture and office systems worldwide. Early furniture pieces by Tecno can be found in the permanent collections of the MoMA, the V&A, the Centre Pompidou and the Triennale di Milano.