Canton
by Franco Raggi
In 2023, following the cataloging of the philological project of the 1980s, the Centro Studi Poltronova, together with the architect Franco Raggi, has brought out a new version of Canton, in two combinations, red and green, blue and orange, each with a positive and a negative version.
- year1988
- typologybench
- dimension170[l] x 45[w] x 75[h] cm
- materials[Canton] beech wood with melamine edge, water painting
[Canton Color] wooden structure clad in natural dyed ash veneer, water painting - colours[Canton] beech/black
[Canton Color] red/green, green/red, blue/orange, orange/blue - weight46 kg
#canton on Instagram
More than a bench. A drawing brought to life.
Canton: wooden bench by Franco Raggi @francoraggistudio, 1988
Some designs don’t need to move to captivate us. They simply wait for the right moment to appear.
Designed by Franco Raggi for Poltronova in 1988, Canton is much more than a bench. It is an architectural idea, born from a simple sketch of two connected squares. By extending that single black line into three dimensions, Raggi transformed a graphic concept into a functional sculpture where geometry becomes the true protagonist.
Created for the entrance of the home, Canton also reflects the way we once lived. Its open side compartments were designed to hold magazines, books, and even telephone directories, turning everyday objects into part of the composition rather than something to hide.
In 2023, Centro Studi Poltronova, working alongside Franco Raggi, faithfully reissued Canton with a philological re-edition. The original design remains untouched, while bold contemporary colour pairings. Red and green. Blue and orange. Available in both positive and negative versions. The result is a timeless icon with renewed energy for contemporary interiors.
This reel celebrates that same transformation. One snap, and Canton appears. Another, and it disappears. Like a drawing stepping out of the page before quietly returning to a single line.
The most memorable design isn’t always the loudest. Sometimes, it changes a space simply by being there.
@kinraggi
@francoraggistudio
@francescotoselli
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#Poltronova #FrancoRaggi #Canton #ItalianDesign #CollectibleDesign
GRAPHIC. GEOMETRIC. GESTURE.
Canton: wooden bench by Franco Raggi, 1988
@kinraggi
Originally designed by Franco Raggi in 1988, Canton emerges from a graphic gesture transformed into space. A continuous black line draws two squares connected by a horizontal segment; pulled into three dimensions, that abstract sign becomes a bench.
Conceived for temporary use rather than comfort, Canton sacrifices ergonomics in favour of a rigorous, almost neoplastic presence. The structure functions simultaneously as seat and container: the lateral squares open into compartments designed to host books, magazines, objects, and traces of everyday life.
More than furniture, Canton behaves as a spatial drawing. The object retains the immediacy of a sketch while becoming architecture, structure, and image at once.
Canton transforms a simple line into an inhabitable structure: graphic, architectural, and deliberately uncompromising.
📸 Serena Eller : Eller Studio @serenaeller @ellerstudio
📍Salone Internazionale del Mobile 2026 @isaloniofficial
#Poltronova #CantonBench #FrancoRaggi #PostmodernDesign #GraphicFurniture
What happens when the domestic landscape dissolves—what remains?
Centro Studi Poltronova presents
XS
Salone Internazionale del Mobile
Rho Fiera Milano, Hall 24 | Booth D33
Milano Design Week 2025
April 7-13
Don’t miss:
@elledecoritalia
Elle Decor: Alchemica
A project by Elle Decor Italia
Palazzo Bovara, corso Venezia 51, Milan
April 7-13
Interior and Exhibition Design Patricia Urquiola
Lighting Design Valerio Tiberi
Landscape Design Studio Antonio Perazzi
Interior Design Coordination Netsuke Studio
-- #safarisofa by Archizoom Associati
-- #passifloralamp by Superstudio
@adidesignmuseum
Best of Both Worlds: ITALY. Art and Design in Italy 1915 – 2025
April 1 – June 15, 2025
Conceived and curated by Stefano Casciani
Exhibition and graphic design by Piero Lissoni / GraphX
Ph. Credits Michele Nastasi, Courtesy of ADI Design museum
-- #gherpelamp by Superstudio
-- #sanremolamp by Archizoom Associati
-- #ultrafragolamirror by Ettore Sottsass jr.
@triennalemilano
Franco Raggi: Unstable Thoughts
Triennale di Milano, Design Platform
Until April 13
Curated by Marco Sammicheli e Francesca Pellicciari
Exhibition project by Piovenefabi
-- #cantonbench by Franco Raggi
@triennalemilano
Forme Mobili
Triennale di Milano, Museo del Design Italiano
Until April 13
Curated by Marco Sammicheli
Exhibition project Luca Stoppini
-- #gherpelamp by Superstudio
-- #miesarmchair by Archizoom Associati
-- #ultrafragolamirror by Ettore Sottsass jr.
#Poltronova #MilanoDesignWeek2025 #MDW25 #SaloneDelMobile2025 #SaloneDelMobile #SaloneDelMobileMilano #TriennaleMilano #Adi #ElleDecor #AdiDesignMuseum #TriennaleMilano #EttoreSottsass
Poltronova, the only place that 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 gets you. 🔑
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#gherpelamp
#poltronova
#poltronovarevolution
#cantonbench
#italiandesign
#mirror
#design
#furnituredesign
#home
#madeinitaly
#interiordesign
#superstudio
#architecture
#spera
#brat
Our mood lately has been very brat, very bold. What about you?
Bold mood feat.
🐚 Gherpe table lamp by Superstudio
🟥 Canton wooden bench by Franco Raggi
🪞 Spera mirror / photo holder by Superstudio
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#gherpelamp
#poltronova
#poltronovarevolution
#cantonbench
#italiandesign
#mirror
#design
#furnituredesign
#digitalcamera
#madeinitaly
#interiordesign
#superstudio
#architecture
#spera
#brat
Stop and stare for a minute at Canton in all its versions ⬛
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#Poltronova
#Canton
#CantonBench
#FrancoRaggi
#InteriorDesign
#Design
#PoltronovaRevolution
#ItalianDesign
#HomeDecor
#Furniture
#DesignInspo
#Minimalism
#Wood
#Madeinitaly
#Designfeed
Canton, the perfect place for your favorite books and objects 📚
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Design @kinraggi
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#Poltronova #Canton #CantonBench #FrancoRaggi #InteriorDesign #Design #PoltronovaRevolution #ItalianDesign #HomeDecor #DesignInspiration
#Wood #Minimal #Graphic #InteriorDecor #Minimalism
Did you know that Canton wooden bench, designed by Franco Raggi in 1988, was born from a graphic exercise? ⬛
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📐 Design by @kinraggi
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📷 Photo by @serenaeller @ellerstudio
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💡 Art direction by @_d_apostrophe_
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🙏 Rug by @cc_tapis
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#Poltronova #Canton #CantonBench #FrancoRaggi #InteriorDesign #Design #PoltronovaRevolution #ItalianDesign #HomeDecor #Home #DesignInspo #DesignLovers #DesignStudent #Iconic #Wood #Minimal
Elle Decor Italia - Material Home
16-21 April
Milano Design Week 2024
Palazzo Bovara, Corso Venezia 51, Milan
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A project by Elle Decor Italia @elledecoritalia
Exhibition and interior design Elisa Ossino Studio @elisaossinostudio
Lighting design Rossi Biachi Lighting Design @rossi_bianchi_lightingdesign
Exhibition design coordination netsuke studio @netsuke_studio
Photo credit Serena Eller Vainicher @serenaeller @ellerstudio
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Poltronova presents
Canton bench by Franco Raggi
Mies armchair/footrest by Archizoom Associati
Saratoga armchair by Lella & Massimo Vignelli
Superonda dynamic sofa by Archizoom Associati
Ultrafragola mirror/lamp by Ettore Sottsass jr.
Vanitas mirror/photo holder by Superstudio
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Poltronova renews its synergy with Elle Decor, once again crossing the threshold of Palazzo Bovara for the ‘Material Home’ exhibition curated by Elisa Ossino Studio.
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During the Milano Design Week 2024, Elle Decor Italia tackles the theme of material in a synthetic and sensory journey that leads the visitor room by room through abstract installations and spatial suggestions.
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SOFT
Fabrics and upholstery take shape in surprising sculptural elements. In the bedroom space, the Ultrafragola and Vanitas mirrors, the Mies armchair, and the Canton bench mark the perimeter of the room, where geometries merge seamlessly to create a “smooth” effect.
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#poltronova #metislighting #milandesignweek2024 #milanodesignweek2024 #milan #design #mdw2024 #mdw24 #elledecoritalia #materialhome #radicaldesign #popdesign #design #italiandesign #madeinitaly #francoraggi #cantonbench
To request information, please write to info@poltronova.it, for a quote to sales@poltronova.it.
