The great figures of Italian design

wp:paragraph If modern design had to have a nationality, it would undoubtedly be Italian... In the aftermath of the Second World War, Italy provided a fertile ground for the development of a flourishing furniture industry. And how did it do this? Thanks to an explosive mix of craftsmanship and industry. At the same time, the country's most brilliant architects tried their hand at industrial design, reinventing a dialogue between art and industry. And so it was that small, often family-run, industrial companies exported the Italian "style" around the world. From the early 50s to the late 80s, Italy experienced a golden age in which artists and industry worked together. We'd like to illustrate this point with 6 great figures of Italian design, to which we must add the talent of major publishers. If modern design had to have a nationality, it would undoubtedly be Italian... In the aftermath of the Second World War, Italy provided a fertile ground for the development of a flourishing furniture industry. And how did it do this? Thanks to an explosive mix of craftsmanship and industry. At the same time, the country's most brilliant architects tried their hand at industrial design, reinventing a dialogue between art and industry. And so it was that small, often family-run, industrial companies exported the Italian "style" around the world. From the early 50s to the late 80s, Italy experienced a golden age in which artists and industry worked together. We'd like to illustrate this point with 6 great figures of Italian design, to which we must add the talent of major publishers. /wp:paragraph wp:paragraph Gio Ponti Gio Ponti (1891-1979) is the tutelary figure of modern Italian design. An architect, designer and painter, he played a major role in the development of Italian design. He certainly created some iconic pieces of post-war design, such as the Leggera Leggera and Superleggera, Superleggera chairs, but it is above all his contribution to the advent of prestigious institutions and events that energised the intellectual and artistic life of his time that makes him indispensable. In 1928, for example, he founded the famous international magazine Domus Domus , considered to be the bible of design and architecture and still published today. And it was he who, in 1954, initiated the Compasso d'Oro award, one of the most influential and longest-standing international product design prizes. He also actively contributed to the recognition of the Milan Triennale (1923) and trained several generations of the most talented designers... /wp:paragraph wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11648, "sizeSlug": "large"} A few years ago, the publisher Taschen reissued all the issues of Domus in 12 reference volumes. Here, a double page from the magazine in the 1930s. A few years ago, the publisher Taschen reissued all the issues of Domus in 12 reference volumes. Here, a double page from the magazine in the 1930s. A few years ago, the publisher Taschen reissued all the issues of Domus in 12 reference volumes. Here, a double page from the magazine in the 1930s. /wp:image wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11649, "sizeSlug": "large"} A double page from Domus magazine in the 1930s. Gio Ponti was director of Domus for many years, with an interlude that lasted until 1979. Double page spread from Domus magazine in the 1930s. Gio Ponti directed Domus for many years, with an interlude, until 1979. Double page spread from Domus magazine in the 1930s. Gio Ponti directed Domus for many years, with an interlude, until 1979. /wp:image wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11650, "sizeSlug": "large"} The famous "Zizi" monkey, a toy created by the visual artist Bruno Munari, which won the 1st Compasso d'Oro in 1954. /wp:image wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11651, "sizeSlug": "large"} The Pirelli Tower in Milan, an emblematic building designed by Gio Ponti and engineer Pier Luigi Nervi between 1956 and 1960. The Pirelli Tower in Milan, an iconic building designed by Gio Ponti and engineer Pier Luigi Nervi, from 1956 to 1960. The Pirelli Tower in Milan, an iconic building designed by Gio Ponti and engineer Pier Luigi Nervi, from 1956 to 1960. /wp:image wp:paragraph The Castiglioni brothers (Achille: 1918-2002, Pier Giacomo: 1913-1968) breathed a kind of "quiet timelessness" into post-war Italian design, creating elegant and, above all, functional pieces of furniture. Unaffected by the various fashions, their style was characterised by a quest for great sobriety. Until Pier Giacomo's untimely death, they produced a large number of objects in the 50s and 60s for industrial publishers such as Flos (lighting specialists) and Zanotta (home furnishings). Achille Castiglioni Achille Castiglioni won no fewer than 9 Compasso d'Oro awards. /wp:paragraph wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11652, "sizeSlug": "large"} The Arco floor lamp, designed by Achille Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos, 1962. One of the most beautiful modern lights, with a timeless look... The marble base contrasts with the stainless steel support. Arco floor lamp, designed by Achille Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos, 1962. The marble base contrasts with the stainless steel support. /wp:image wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11653, "sizeSlug": "large", "linkDestination": "custom"} "Snoopy" design table lamp, designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1967 for Flos. The "Snoopy" has an inimitable allure, an emblematic piece from the 2 brothers' collaboration with Flos. Snoopy" design table lamp, designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1967 for Flos. The "Snoopy" has an inimitable allure, an emblematic piece from the 2 brothers' collaboration with Flos. Snoopy" design table lamp, designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1967 for Flos. The "Snoopy" has an inimitable allure, an emblematic piece of the 2 brothers' collaboration with Flos. /wp:image wp:paragraph Ettore Sottsass Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007) is perhaps the most renowned Italian designer still working today in France and around the world. He owes his popularity to his protean talents, which enabled him to work in a wide range of fields: industrial objects, furniture, ceramics, graphic design and, of course, architecture, since he graduated from the Turin Polytechnic in 1939. His career was marked by his collaboration with Poltronova, Olivetti, for whom he designed the famous Valentine Valentine typewriter, and the Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres. Avant-garde, even radical, in 1972 he exhibited prototypes of container furniture on castors at MoMA during the exhibition Italy: The New Domestic Landscape , illustrating changing lifestyles. In the early 80s, he founded the Memphis movement and invented a colourful language. /wp:paragraph wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11654, "sizeSlug": "large"} Glass vases, design Ettore Sottsass, 1982. Memphis 1984 edition. Sottsass's unbridled creativity and taste for totemic creations are clearly evident. Ettore Sottsass had an innate art for ceramics and glass, which saw him blow glass in Murano in the 1990s for the famous Venini glassworks. Glass vases, designed by Ettore Sottsass, 1982. Published by Memphis 1984. Sottsass's unbridled creativity and taste for totemic creations are clearly evident. Ettore Sottsass had an innate art for ceramics and glass, which saw him blow glass in Murano in the 1990s for the famous Venini glassworks. Glass vases, designed by Ettore Sottsass, 1982. Published by Memphis 1984. Sottsass's unbridled creativity and taste for totemic creations are clearly evident. Ettore Sottsass had an innate art for ceramics and glass, which saw him blow glass in Murano in the 90s for the famous Venini glassworks. /wp:image wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11655, "sizeSlug": "large"} Valentine red typewriter, concept design: Ettore Sottsass for Olivetti, 1969. A commercial failure when it first came out, this lightweight, portable machine has since become a cult item, considered to be one of the defining designs of the 20th century. Was Sottsass designing too avant-garde a product at the time? Valentine red typewriter, concept design: Ettore Sottsass for Olivetti, 1969. A commercial failure when it first came out, this lightweight, portable machine has since become a cult item, considered to be one of the defining designs of the 20th century. Was Sottsass designing too avant-garde a product at the time? Valentine red typewriter, concept design: Ettore Sottsass for Olivetti, 1969. A commercial failure when it first came out, this lightweight, portable machine has since become a cult item, considered to be one of the defining designs of the 20th century. Was Sottsass designing too avant-garde a product at the time? /wp:image wp:paragraph Joe Colombo Joe Colombo (1930-1971) was the shooting star of Italian design. He died prematurely of a heart attack at the age of 41, and during his 20 years of activity revolutionised design and the shape of the individual home. It was he who, in the 1960s, developed the concepts of modular furniture and "living units". An avant-garde designer, he kept up with the times and designed transportable furniture. His seating, such as the extraordinary Tube Chair Tube Chair, lamps, shelving and storage units, such as the famous Chariot Bobby Chariot Bobby (1970), stood out for their modularity and flexibility. Joe Colombo was a workaholic and a visionary... /wp:paragraph wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11656, "sizeSlug": "large", "linkDestination": "custom"} Tube Chair armchair or chaise-longue, designed by Joe Colombo for Flexform, 1969. A seat that is a concept in itself: designed with 4 modular cylinders of different sizes, and conceived for nesting storage. The 4 tubes are assembled together using metal hooks, and different configurations are possible depending on the desired seating position. Covered in bi-elastic fabric. Reissued by Cappellini in 2017, the Tube Chair is a vintage design myth! Tube Chair armchair or chaise-longue, designed by Joe Colombo for Flexform, 1969. A seat that is a concept in itself: designed with 4 modular cylinders of different sizes, and conceived for nesting storage. The 4 tubes are assembled together using metal hooks, and different configurations are possible depending on the desired seating position. Covered in bi-elastic fabric. Reissued by Cappellini in 2017, the Tube Chair is a vintage design myth! Tube Chair armchair or chaise-longue, designed by Joe Colombo for Flexform, 1969. A seat that is a concept in itself: designed with 4 modular cylinders of different sizes, and conceived for nesting storage. The 4 tubes are assembled together using metal hooks, and different configurations are possible depending on the desired seating position. Covered in bi-elastic fabric. Reissued by Cappellini in 2017, the Tube Chair is a vintage design myth! /wp:image wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11657, "sizeSlug": "large", "linkDestination": "custom"} The Tube Chair was designed to be stored in a canvas bag. The Tube Chair was designed to be stored in a canvas bag. The Tube Chair was designed to be stored in a canvas bag. /wp:image wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11658, "sizeSlug": "large"} Joe Colombo, drawings for the design of the Personal Container, 1964. Joe Colombo, drawings for the design of the Personal Container, 1964. Joe Colombo, drawings for the design of the Personal Container, 1964. /wp:image wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11659, "sizeSlug": "large"} Joe Colombo, Personal Container, 1964. A transportable wooden container containing a "mobile" living unit with a wardrobe, a record player and radio, a complete bar, a small bookshelf, and a rack for newspapers and records... Joe Colombo, Personal Container, 1964. A transportable wooden container containing a 'mobile' living unit with a wardrobe, a record player and radio, a complete bar, a small bookshelf, and a locker for newspapers and records... Joe Colombo, Personal Container, 1964. A transportable wooden container containing a 'mobile' living unit with a wardrobe, a record player and radio, a complete bar, a small bookshelf and a locker for newspapers and records... /wp:image wp:image {"align": "centre", "id":11660, "sizeSlug": "large"} Joe Colombo, sketchboard for the Multichair model. Research into flexible, modular seating, reflecting an era of changing lifestyles... Joe Colombo, sketchboard for the Multichair model. Joe Colombo, sketchboard for the creation of the Multichair model. Another great figure from the golden age of Italian design: Gae Aulenti Gae Aulenti (1927-2012). A graduate in architecture from the Milan Polytechnic in 1953, Gae Aulenti, like Gio Ponti, played an important role in the intellectual and architectural life of her country, contributing for 10 years (1955-1965) to the avant-garde magazine Casabella Continuità. The author of furniture pieces that became bestsellers, such as the Pipistrello lamp, lampe Pipistrello, she quickly made a name for herself in a very male-dominated world of architecture. An architect, designer and intellectual, she is also a teacher, first at the University Institute of Architecture in Venice, then at the Politecnico in Milan. As a scenographer, she is renowned for rehabilitating old buildings to create museums. One of her major projects was the initial interior design of the Musée d'Orsay (1980-1986), when it was transformed from a former railway station into a museum devoted to Western art from 1848 to 1914. /wp:paragraph wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11661, "sizeSlug": "large"} Pipistrello lamp, designed by Gae Aulenti for Martinelli Luce, 1965. A mythical lamp with an organic design inspired by the wings of a bat ("pipistrello" in Italian) available in several sizes and colours. Pipistrello lamp, designed by Gae Aulenti for Martinelli Luce, 1965. A mythical lamp with an organic design inspired by the wings of a bat ("pipistrello" in Italian) available in several sizes and colours. Pipistrello lamp, designed by Gae Aulenti for Martinelli Luce, 1965. A mythical lamp with an organic design inspired by the wings of a bat ("pipistrello" in Italian) available in several sizes and colours. /wp:image wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11662, "sizeSlug": "large"} Orsay station before and after its transformation. Under the direction of Gae Aulenti, a team of scenographers and architects succeeded in creating a unified presentation within a great diversity of volumes... A successful challenge! Orsay station before and after its transformation. Under the direction of Gae Aulenti, a team of scenographers and architects succeeded in creating a unified presentation within a great diversity of volumes... A successful challenge! Orsay station before and after its transformation. Under the direction of Gae Aulenti, a team of scenographers and architects succeeded in creating a unified presentation within a great diversity of volumes... A successful challenge! /wp:image wp:image {"align": "centre", "id":11663, "sizeSlug": "large"} Interior of the Musée d'Orsay. Gae Aulenti played on the homogeneity of the materials used (stone cladding on the floor and walls) to match the sheer volume of the old station. Interior of the Musée d'Orsay. Gae Aulenti played on the homogeneity of the materials used (stone cladding on the floor and walls) to respond to the disproportionate volume of the old station. Interior of the Musée d'Orsay. Gae Aulenti played on the homogeneity of the materials used (stone cladding on the floor and walls) to respond to the disproportionate volume of the old station. /wp:image wp:paragraph In addition to these 6 great figures of Italian design, we should add another player: the publishing houses and industrialists who made its development possible. Poltrona Frau, for example, was founded in Turin in 1912 by Renzo Frau, and quickly catapulted the brand to the top of the high-end furniture market, a symbol of "made in Italy" expertise. Another key reference is Kartell, founded in 1949 by Julio Castelli, which has constantly innovated in its use of plastic materials. Joe Colombo designed the Chaise Universale (1967) for the Milanese company, considered to be the first chair moulded entirely in plastic! Cassina, with one of the richest catalogues of furniture in the history of design, also deserves a mention. /wp:paragraph wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11664, "sizeSlug": "large"} Sangirolamo walnut bookcase, designed by Michele De Lucchi Achille Castiglioni for Poltrona Frau, 2006. In its recent history, Poltrona Frau has continued to develop projects with top designers. Sangirolamo walnut bookcase, design by Michele De Lucchi Achille Castiglioni for Poltrona Frau, 2006. In its recent history, Poltrona Frau has continued to develop projects with top designers. Sangirolamo walnut bookcase, design by Michele De Lucchi Achille Castiglioni for Poltrona Frau, 2006. In its recent history, Poltrona Frau continues to develop projects with top designers. /wp:image wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11665, "sizeSlug": "large"} Universale chair, design Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1967. An iconic piece in the history of vintage design. Universale chair, designed by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1967. An iconic piece in the history of vintage design. Universale chair, designed by Joe Colombo for Kartell, 1967. An iconic piece in the history of vintage design. /wp:image wp:image {"align": "center", "id":11666, "sizeSlug": "large"} Superleggera 699 chair, designed by Gio Ponti for Cassina, 1957. A must-have of modern design with timeless elegance. A "light" appearance thanks to the slender triangular section of the legs. Superleggera 699 chair, designed by Gio Ponti for Cassina, 1957. A must-have of modern design with timeless elegance. A "light" appearance thanks to the slender triangular section of the legs. /wp:image wp:paragraph {"align": "right"} François Boutard François Boutard François Boutard /wp:paragraph

The great figures of Italian design

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