Afra Scarpa

Afra Bianchin Scarpa (1937-2011) was the life and work partner of Tobia Scarpa, of whom she has co-signed many of his most important projects. The couple meets while studying architecture at the IUAV in Venice, where they both attend the lessons of the famous architect Franco Albini. Tobia is the son of another great architect, Carlo Scarpa, and soon manages to obtain important design commissions for major brands, always involving his inseparable partner in the work. Although not all products signed by Tobia officially bear the signature of Afra, theirs must be considered an all-round partnership in which professional merits must be equally shared, following the model of the most famous couple that the history of design remembers: Charles & Ray Eames. They are the protagonists of a great season of success in Italian design, working for top-tier brands such as B&B Italia, Cassina and Molteni&C., and win several international awards including a Compasso d'Oro in 1970.