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Canton

by Franco Raggi
The Canton wooden bench, designed by Franco Raggi in 1988, fitted out with two spaces on the sides—containers for magazines, books and phone directories, still in use at the time—ideally designed for home entrances, «was born, —Franco Raggi writes—, from a graphic exercise: a black line which in its continuous path creates two squares connected by a horizontal line. Dragging this line into the third dimensions, I realised that the solid thus obtained could be a bench, not a comfortable seat, but for temporary use, where ergonomics could be sacrifice in favour of an abstract, almost neoplastic image. Books and things could be put in the squares transformed into open compartments.»

 

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
Chart design
...

#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
Poltronova, the only place that 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘺 gets you. 🔑
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Stop and stare for a minute at Canton in all its versions ⬛
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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

Franco Raggi

1945

Designed for Poltronova:
Canton

To request information, please write to info@poltronova.it, for a quote to sales@poltronova.it.