Sustainably Reimagined: HAY Brings Back Mario Bellini’s Amanta Sofa with Inova Contracts

When Italian architect and design visionary Mario Bellini unveiled the Amanta Sofa in 1966, he didn’t just create furniture; he redefined how people could live together. With its low-slung, modular form and sculptural clarity, Amanta invited connection and comfort, breaking from the formality of its time.

Now, nearly six decades later, HAY reissues the design for a new generation, updating materials but preserving Bellini’s essence. The reissue is more than a revival – it’s a continuation of his enduring belief that good design should enrich social life as much as it enhances space.

Born in Milan in 1935, Bellini approached design as an art of living. Drawing from architecture, art, and the rhythms of daily life, he merged precision with emotion, creating objects that were both functional and deeply human. The Amanta reflected that balance, its seamless shell and floating cushions embodied freedom and flexibility, mirroring the spirit of the late 1960s.

In HAY’s modern interpretation, the sofa’s shell – once fibreglass – is now made from 99% post-consumer recycled ABS, paired with cushions crafted from 94% bio-balanced foam. Designed for disassembly and available in updated colours and fabrics, it bridges sustainability with timeless form.

As Marco Sammicheli, Curator at Triennale Milano, notes, “Amanta wasn’t just ahead of its time – it helped shape the era in which it was created.” Today, that legacy continues: modular, modern, and effortlessly social, a true icon of design that still invites us to sit, gather, and live convivially.

Locally, HAY is available through Inova Contracts, a well-established leader in the contract furniture industry with offices in Cape Town and Johannesburg. Known for their impartial expertise, national reach, and exceptional service, Inova offers clients the best in product knowledge and project solutions, ensuring every piece finds its perfect place

Visit Inova Contracts for more.
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