Terrazza is certainly an unusual name for a sofa. Indeed, the inspiration comes from terraced, layered landscapes. So much so that an editor at The New Yorker remarked that the design «is a monstrous thing.» The designer behind it in 1973 is the Swiss Ubald Klug, and the company that produced it is de Sede. Specifically, the sofa consists of seven graduated cushions on a rectangular base, all covered in leather. We’ve already discussed some particular sofas in the past: from the Bubble Couch found in New York to the Togo refurbished in Sicily, but let’s discover more about the history of Terrazza and the behind-the-scenes that have made it an icon of 1970s design.

How the Terrazza sofa became an icon

For Ubald Klug, the Terrazza sofa is not his first markedly unconventional project. Throughout his long career, he designed a work bed, a prototype of a prefabricated house, and a cockpit studio for a French airline company. Terrazza thus arrives at a time of great excitement in the world of design, that of the 1970s, where even the Togo was heavily criticized. The transgressive aspect of this design earned it the label of one of the most glamorous sofas around, so much so that even Mick Jagger had himself photographed on it. Glamour but above all suitable for the science-fiction atmospheres of the film Logan’s Run, directed by Micheal Anderson in 1976. In short, Terrazza’s design is nostalgic, a bit sci-fi, which more than terraces reminds us of a heap of earth. It must be admitted, however, that its particular charm continues to captivate us despite the passing years.