Objects should provide company. (Achille Castiglioni)
On February 16, 1918, Achille Castiglioni was born, an Italian designer with a capital “D”, capable of giving life to some of the most ingenious objects of modern design, designed in various types and with international success.
Born in Milan to a sculptor father, he graduated in architecture from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1944, and even as a student, he began working with his architect brothers, Livio and Pier Giacomo. His collaboration with the latter was closer and gave rise to a multitude of mass-produced objects for companies such as Kartell, Zanotta, FLOS, Bernini, Siemens, Knoll, Poggi, Ideal Standard, Artflex, and Alessi.
After taking part in the design of various installations, in the 1950s, he developed an interest in “ready-made,” where everyday objects or traditional items were “upturned” and redesigned to update them communicatively.
This led to the creation of the Sella chair in 1957, consisting of a racing bicycle saddle designed as a telephone stool, the Leonardo table, which reinterpreted the trestles of carpenter’s tables, and the Mezzadro seat, which reused the seat of an early 20th-century tractor. During these years, the Castiglioni brothers also played a central role in establishing ADI and creating the Compasso d’Oro award, which is still recognized worldwide as one of the most prestigious awards for industrial design.
Sella, 1957, Zanotta
Leonardo Table, 1969, Zanotta – credits Lovethesign – and Mezzadro Stool, 1957, Zanotta
At the heart of Castiglioni’s design is a great exploration of forms, techniques, and new materials, aimed at achieving an “integral” project. In the early 1960s, his collaboration with companies like Kartell and Flos opened up concrete possibilities for serial production, with the theme of light becoming one of the cornerstones of his design. The various lamps that went into production were characterized by formal simplicity and bold operations of synthesis and abolition of the superfluous in favor of the intimate essence.
Among the many, we remember the Viscontea and Taraxacumlamps, made with an innovative spray-coated material, the lamp Toio, an assembly of various objects including a car headlight, a fishing rod, and the exposed transformer, the table lamp Taccia, consisting of a semi-spherical glass dome and a white concave plate that rotate above a cylindrical base, and the iconic Arco lamp..
Viscontea Lamp, 1960, Flos
Taraxacum Lamp, 1960, Flos
On the left Toio Lamp, 1962, Flos and on the right Taccia Lamp, 1962, Flos
Designed in 1962 for Flos, the Arco lamp has become an icon of Made in Italy design and is part of the permanent collections of the Triennale Museum in Milan and the MoMA in New York.
It consists of a Carrara marble base, with a hole for easy movement, from which rises a telescopic curved rod ending in the light point, a perforated aluminum dome. Its success stems from the initial idea of the project, which was to have lighting directly where needed, whether it be a table, desk, or book, without being constrained by the position of a pendant lamp.
Arco Floor Lamp, 1962, Flos
In 1960, he designed the Sanluca armchair for the Gavina company, an elegant synthesis of Frau tradition and the futuristic aesthetics of Umberto Boccioni’s sculptures. Free from any formal scheme, it was born from the idea of overturning traditional construction logic to limit the volume of upholstery only to the necessary curves to obtain the best ergonomic support. A chair that perfectly envelops the body and never goes out of style.
Sanluca Armchair, 1960, for Gavina now produced by Poltrona Frau
1971 saw the introduction of the Parentesi ceiling lamp, awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1979, a perfect synthesis of experimentation, essentiality, and refinement around which the designer’s research revolves. A brilliant lamp, which never tires, as simple in form as it is innovative: a shaped steel tube – reminiscent of a parenthesis – slides on a vertical axis from the floor to the ceiling thanks to the tensioned steel cable that creates the right friction and balance.
Parentesi Lamp, 1970, Flos
Attention to detail and excellent design are also found in the Dry set for Alessi, designed in 1982 and marking Alessi’s debut in the cutlery sector. Ergonomics in Dry cutlery lies not in the handle design but in the end that must adapt to the type of food it is intended for. Available in polished and satin finishes, the set was reissued in a special 2018 edition in copper finish, precisely on the occasion of the centenary of Castiglioni’s birth.
On the left Dry Cutlery Set, 1982, Alessi – credits Lovethesign – and on the right Dry Set in limited edition 2018
Castiglioni’s production was truly extensive and heterogeneous, impossible to describe in a single article, and, above all, it is really complicated to prefer one object over another because all of them have that elegance, purity of form, and absolutely ingenious design cunning.
During his long career, Castiglioni received countless awards and an impressive number of Compassi d’Oro, including: in 1955 with the Luminator lamp, in 1971 with the Parentesi lamp, until 1984 with the Dry cutlery set, and in 1989 when he received an honorary mention..
Luminator Floor Lamp, 1955, Flos
