High-tech design emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, emphasizing technology, construction, and industrial materials. Rather than concealing technical elements, they are deliberately exposed and become an essential part of the design.

Designers such as Norman Foster, Richard Rogers, and Antonio Citterio translated this approach into furniture where aluminum, steel, and innovative production techniques take center stage. High-tech design is functional, rational, and distinctly modern, seamlessly complementing architectural interiors.