Achille Castiglioni
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Achille Castiglioni (; 16 February 1918 – 2 December 2002) was an Italian architect and designer of furniture, lighting, radiograms and other objects. As a professor of design, he advised his students "If you are not curious, forget it. If you are not interested in others, what they do and how they act, then being a designer is not the right job for you."


Early life and education

Castiglioni was born on 16 February 1918 in
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, in
Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
in northern Italy. He was the third son of the sculptor
Giannino Castiglioni Giannino Castiglioni (4 May 1884 – 27 August 1971) was an Italian sculptor and medallist. He worked mostly in monumental and funerary sculpture; his style was representational, and far from the modernist and avant-garde trends of the earl ...
and his wife Livia Bolla. His elder brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo were both architects. Castiglioni studied
classics Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
at the
Liceo Classico Liceo classico or Ginnasio (literally ''classical lyceum'') is the oldest, public secondary school type in Italy. Its educational curriculum spans over five years, when students are generally about 14 to 19 years of age. Until 1969, this was ...
Giuseppe Parini Giuseppe Parini (23 May 1729 – 15 August 1799) was an Italian enlightenment satirist and poet of the neoclassic period. Biography Parini (originally spelled Parino) was born in Bosisio (later renamed Bosisio Parini in his honour) in Brianza ...
in Milan, but switched to study
the arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both ...
at the
Liceo artistico Liceo artistico (literally ''artistic lyceum'') is a type of secondary school in Italy. It is designed to give students the skills to progress to any university or higher educational institution, but specifically devoted to art related topics.Decr ...
di Brera. In 1937 he enrolled in the faculty of architecture of the
Politecnico di Milano The Polytechnic University of Milan () is the largest technical university in Italy, with about 42,000 students. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and higher education courses in engineering, architecture and design. Founded in 186 ...
. When the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
broke out, he became an officer in the
artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
and was stationed on the Greek front and later in
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
. He returned to Milan before the
Allied invasion of Sicily The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis powers ( Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany). It bega ...
of 1943. In March 1944 he graduated from the Politecnico.


Work and career

Following the war, Castiglioni returned to Milan and joined the architectural design practice that his brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo had started with
Luigi Caccia Dominioni Luigi Caccia Dominioni (7 December 1913 – 13 November 2016) was an Italian architect and furniture designer. Life Caccia Dominioni was born on 7 December 1913 in Milan, in Lombardy in northern Italy, to Ambrogio Caccia Dominioni, a lawy ...
in 1938. Much of their work was in exhibition design, but they also carried out a number of architectural projects, including the reconstruction in 1952–53 of the , which had been destroyed by bombing in 1943. Livio Castiglioni left the practice in 1952. From then until Pier Giacomo died in 1968, he and Achille worked as a team; their designs are not attributable to either one of them. Together, the brothers created a number of works that explored
Marcel Duchamp Henri-Robert-Marcel Duchamp (, , ; 28 July 1887 – 2 October 1968) was a French painter, sculptor, chess player, and writer whose work is associated with Cubism, Dada, and conceptual art. Duchamp is commonly regarded, along with Pablo Picasso ...
's concept of the "ready-made" by incorporating and repurposing existing objects into new designs. After the death of Pier Giacomo, Castiglioni worked alone. Together with Pier Giacomo, in 1957 he designed " Sella" and "Mezzadro" stools for Zanotta, as well as the "Cubo" couch for Arflex. In 1959, they began working with
Kartell Kartell is an Italian company that makes and sells plastic contemporary furniture. It is headquartered in Noviglio, Metropolitan City of Milan, Italy, and it is a subsidiary of Felofin. History The company began manufacturing automobile accessor ...
, designing lighting and furniture, including a collection of tables and stools called "Rochetto". The Castiglioni brothers designed the "Lierna" chair for Cassina, and the "Taraxacum" chandelier for in 1960. Also for Flos, in 1962 they designed both the "Toio" lamp, assembled from " ready-made" surplus hardware, and the "
Arco ARCO ( ) is a brand of gasoline stations currently owned by Marathon Petroleum after BP sold its rights. BP commercializes the brand in Northern California, Oregon and Washington, while Marathon has rights for the rest of the United States an ...
" lamp, which consists of a long arched stainless-steel cantilevered support, an adjustable shade made of perforated spun aluminium, and a heavy marble base. These projects were followed in 1964 by the "Splüghen Braü" pendant light, and the " RR 126" radiogram for
Brionvega Brionvega is an Italian electronics company that is known for manufacturing futuristic televisions and audio equipment. The company was founded in 1939 by Giuseppe Brion and Leone Pajettain in Milan. Initially named B.P.M. Radio, the company w ...
. From 1969 he taught architectural and design subjects, first at the
Politecnico di Torino The Polytechnic University of Turin ( it, Politecnico di Torino) is the oldest Italian public technical university. The university offers several courses in the fields of Engineering, Architecture, Urban Planning and Industrial Design, and is co ...
, and then, from 1980 when he became an ''ordinario'' or
full professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an academic rank at universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who professes". Professors ...
, at the Politecnico di Milano. Achille Castiglioni died in Milan in 2002.


Legacy

Throughout his lifetime, Castiglioni received many awards and distinctions for his designs, including eight Compasso d'Oro awards, as well as the Compasso d'Oro Career Award "for having raised design to the highest values of culture through his irreplaceable experience." His designs are held in museum collections around the world and several books have been published about his life and work. In 1997, the
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
(MoMA) in New York staged a retrospective of his life and work titled: "Achille Castiglioni: Design!". The exhibition was curated by
Paola Antonelli Paola Antonelli (born 1963 in Sassari, Sardinia, Italy) is an Italian author, editor, architect, and curator. She is currently the Senior Curator of the Department of Architecture & Design as well as the Director of R&D at the Museum of Modern ...
, who also wrote the catalogue. In 2014 the city of Milan named a street after the three Castiglioni brothers (Via Fratelli Castiglioni).


Archives and collections

The Studio Museum of the Achille Castiglioni foundation in Milan holds archival records of 191 architectural projects, 484 installation projects and 290 industrial design projects. A total of c. 11,500 technical drawings and freehand sketches is complemented by 130 plastic models, boxes and drawers containing photographs, slides, glass plates and negatives, videocassettes, DVDs, audio cassettes, extracts from magazines, books, catalogues, and objects collected by Achille Castiglioni. Additional Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni works and archives are held by the University of Parma. Museums which hold Castiglioni's works in their collections include the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York,
Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (often abbreviated as the V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.27 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and nam ...
(V&A) in London, Kunstgewerbe Museum in Zurich, Staatliches Museum für angewandte Kunst in Munich, Design Museum in Prato,
Israel Museum The Israel Museum ( he, מוזיאון ישראל, ''Muze'on Yisrael'') is an art and archaeological museum in Jerusalem. It was established in 1965 as Israel's largest and foremost cultural institution, and one of the world’s leading encyclopa ...
in Jerusalem,
Denver Art Museum The Denver Art Museum (DAM) is an art museum located in the Civic Center of Denver, Colorado. With encyclopedic collections of more than 70,000 diverse works from across the centuries and world, the DAM is one of the largest art museums between t ...
,
Vitra Design Museum The Vitra Design Museum is a privately owned museum for design in Weil am Rhein, Germany. Former Vitra CEO, and son of Vitra founders Willi and Erika Fehlbaum, Rolf Fehlbaum founded the museum in 1989 as an independent private foundation. The ...
in Weil am Rhein, Angewandte Kunst Museum in Hamburg and Cologne, and the
Pompidou Centre The Centre Pompidou (), more fully the Centre national d'art et de culture Georges-Pompidou ( en, National Georges Pompidou Centre of Art and Culture), also known as the Pompidou Centre in English, is a complex building in the Beaubourg area of ...
in Paris.


Awards and honours

* 1947
Milan Triennale The ''Milan Triennial'' (Triennale di Milano) is an art and design exhibition that takes place every three years at the Triennale di Milano Museum in Milan, Italy. History The exhibition was originally established in 1923 as a biennial architect ...
Bronze Medal * 1951 Milan Triennale Grand Prix * 1954 Milan Triennale Grand Prix * 1955 Compasso d'oro Award, Luminator lamp (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1957 Milan Triennale Gold Medal * 1957 Milan Triennale Silver Medal * 1960 Compasso d'oro Award, T12 Palini chair (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and Luigi Caccia Dominioni) * 1960 Milan Triennale Gold Medal * 1962 Compasso d'oro Award, l la caffè Pitagora (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1963 Milan Triennale Silver Medal * 1964 Compasso d'oro Award, Spinamatic beer dispenser (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1967 Compasso d'oro Award, Phoebus headset for simultaneous translations (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1979 Compasso d'oro Award, Parentesi lamp * 1979 Compasso d'oro Award, Omsa TR15 hospital bed (with Giancarlo Pozzi and Ernesto Zerbi) * 1984 Compasso d'oro Award, Dry cutlery * 1985 Honorary Member of the Advisory Committee,
ArtCenter College of Design Art Center College of Design (stylized as ArtCenter College of Design) is a private art college in Pasadena, California. History ArtCenter College of Design was founded in 1930 in downtown Los Angeles as the Art Center School. In 1935, Fred ...
, Pasadena, California * 1986 Honorary Member,
Royal Designers for Industry Royal Designer for Industry is a distinction established by the British Royal Society of Arts (RSA) in 1936, to encourage a high standard of industrial design and enhance the status of designers. It is awarded to people who have achieved "sustained ...
of the British
Royal Society of Arts The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...
* 1987 Honorary Degree,
Royal College of Art The Royal College of Art (RCA) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom, with campuses in South Kensington, Battersea and White City. It is the only entirely postgraduate art and design university in the United Kingdom. It offe ...
in London, UK * 1989 Compasso d'Oro Career Award * 1993 Annual Award,
Chartered Society of Designers The Chartered Society of Designers (CSD) is a professional body for designers. It is the only Royal Chartered body of experienced designers. Its membership is multi-disciplinary – representing designers in all design, disciplines including I ...
in London, UK * 1994 Spring of Design Award, Department of Culture, Catalonia, Spain * 1995 Art sur Table Prize, Conseil National des Art Culinaire, Paris, France * 1996 IF Design Award from the
International Forum Design iF International Forum Design GmbH (iF) is a Hanover-based organization providing design-related services. Foundation International Forum Design was launched in 2001 as the operative business arm of design promotion company iF Industrie Forum Des ...
, Hannover, Germany * 1996 Longevity (Langlebigkeit) Award from the Design Center in Stuttgart, Germany * 1999 Domus/INARCH, Lifetime Achievement Award, Milan, Italy * 1999 "Targa d'Oro" Unione Italiana per il Disegno (UID), Faculty of Architecture,
University of Genova The University of Genoa, known also with the acronym UniGe ( it, Università di Genova), is one of the largest universities in Italy. It is located in the city of Genoa and regional Metropolitan City of Genoa, on the Italian Riviera in the Liguri ...
, Italy * 1999 First place in the Competition "Supports for the Environment" organized by Enel, with the Michele De Lucchi * 2001 Honorary Degree in Industrial Design, Milan Polytechnic University (Politecnico di Milano), Italy


Partial list of works


Architecture

* 1952-1953 Torre del Palazzo della Permanente, Milan (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1956 Church of San Gabriele Arcangelo in Mater Dei, Milan (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1958 Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture, Milan (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1960 Splüghen Braü brewery, Milan (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1968 Omega Shop, Piazza Duomo, Milan (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1969 Casa Castiglioni, Milan


Exhibition and interior design

* 1954 Industrial Design Pavilion, Palazzo dell'Arte Bernocchi, X Triennale, Milan (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1957 "Colour and Form in the Modern Home" exhibit,
Villa Olmo Villa Olmo is a neoclassical villa located in the city of Como, northern Italy. The villa was commissioned by marquis Innocenzo Odescalchi from Swiss architect Simone Cantoni Simone Cantoni (Muggio, Switzerland , 1736- Gorgonzœla, Milan, I ...
Como, Italy (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1963 "Vie d'acqua da Milano al mare",
Palazzo Reale This is a list of royal palaces, sorted by continent. Africa * Abdin Palace, Cairo * Al-Gawhara Palace, Cairo * Koubbeh Palace, Cairo * Tahra Palace, Cairo * Menelik Palace * Jubilee Palace * Guenete Leul Palace * Imperial Palace- Massa ...
, Milan (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1965 "La casa abitata",
Palazzo Strozzi Palazzo Strozzi is a palace in Florence, Italy. History The construction of the palace was begun in 1489 by Benedetto da Maiano, for Filippo Strozzi the Elder, a rival of the Medici who had returned to the city in November 1466 and desired the ...
, Florence (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1984 "Achille Castiglioni", Austrian
Museum für Angewandte Kunst A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...
, Vienna * 1988 "Le città del mondo e il futuro delle metropoli", XVII Triennale, Palazzo dell'arte, Milan * 1995 "A la Castiglioni", Centre d'Art Santa Monica, Barcellona
X Triennale di Milano, 1954 Palazzo dell'Arte Bernocchi. Photography
Paolo Monti Paolo Monti (11 August 1908 – 29 November 1982) was an Italian photographer, known for his architectural photography. In his early period, Monti experimented with abstractionism as well as with effects such as blurring and diffraction. In 1 ...
."> File:Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico (Milano, 1954) - BEIC 6365699.jpg File:Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico (Milano, 1954) - BEIC 6347052.jpg File:Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico (Milano, 1954) - BEIC 6347070.jpg File:Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico - BEIC 6347022.jpg File:Paolo Monti - Servizio fotografico - BEIC 6365553.jpg,
Scale model A scale model is a physical model which is geometrically similar to an object (known as the prototype). Scale models are generally smaller than large prototypes such as vehicles, buildings, or people; but may be larger than small prototypes ...


Industrial, product, lighting, and furniture design

* 1956 ''Spalter'' vacuum cleaner for R.E.M. (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1957 ''Saliscendi'' pendant lamp for Stilnovo (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1957 ''Sella'' stool for Zanotta (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) (pictured) * 1957 ''Mezzadro'' stool for Zanotta (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) (pictured) * 1957 ''Cubo'' couch and armchair collection for Arflex, and subsequently Meritalia (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1959 ''Lierna'' chair for Cassina e Gavina, and subsequently reissued in 2014 by the Fondazione Castiglioni (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1959 ''Dolce'' cutlery for
Reed & Barton Reed & Barton was a prominent American silversmith manufacturer based in the city of Taunton, Massachusetts, operating between 1824 and 2015. Its products include sterling silver and silverplate flatware. The company produced many varieties of br ...
, and subsequently reissued as ''Grand Prix'' in 1996 by Alessi (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1960 ''Sanluca'' lounge chair for Gavina, and subsequently Knoll, Bernini, then Poltrona Frau (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1960 ''Taraxacum'' chandelier for Heisenkeil, and subsequently Flos (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1962 ''Gatto'' ''Gatto Piccolo'', table lamps for Heisenkeil, and subsequently Flos (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1962 ''Sleek'' serving spoons for Kraft and Alessi, (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1962 ''Toio'' floor lamp Flos, (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1962 ''Taccia'' table lamp Flos, (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1962 ''Arco'' floor lamp for Flos (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1964 ''Splüghen Braü'' pendant light for Flos (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1964 ''RR 126'' radiogram for Brionvega (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) (pictured) * 1965 ''Orseggi'' glasses, carafe, and decanter for Arnolfo di Cambio e Alessi (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1965 ''Firenze'' wall clock for Lorenz e Alessi (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1965 ''Tric'', folding chair for BBB (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1966 ''Allunaggio'' chair for Zanotta (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1967 ''Snoopy'' table lamp for Flos (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1968 ''Interruttore Rompitratta'' electric switch (with Pier Giacomo Castiglioni) * 1970 ''Primate'' chair for Zanotta * 1970 ''Parentesi'' suspension light for Flos * 1971 ''Spirale'' ashtray for Alessi * 1972 ''Lampadina'' table lamp for Flos * 1972 ''Noce'' table and wall lamp for Flos * 1975 ''Aoy'' table lamp for Flos * 1976 ''Bibip'' floor lamp for Flos * 1977 ''Cumano'' tripod table for Zanotta * 1978 ''Frisbi'' suspention lamp Flos * 1979 ''Ginevra'' folding chair BBB * 1980 ''Gibigiana'' table lamp for Flos * 1982 ''Dry'' silverware for Alessi * 1982 ''Moni'' lamp for Flos * 1982 ''Giovi'' lamp for Flos * 1983 ''Paro'' Glassware for Danese * 1983 ''Ovio'' Glasses and Caraffe for Danese * 1984 ''Stylos'', floor lamp for Flos * 1987 ''Basello'' small table * 1988 ''Taraxacum88'' floor lamp for Flos * 1989 ''Record'' wristwatch for Alessi (pictured) * 1990 ''Joy'' furniture for Zanotta * 1992 ''Brera'' lamp for Flos * 1995 ''Fruttiera scolatoio'' fruit bowl for Alessi * 1995 ''Tavolo 95'' table for De Padova * 1995 ''Mate'',''Supremate'', and ''Minimate'', vases for De Padova * 1996 ''Scrittarello'' writing desk for De Padova * 1996 ''Fucsia'' lighting collection for Flos * 1997 ''Bavero'' tableware for Alessi * 1998 ''Diabolo'' lamp for Flos * 2001 ''CENTO3'' writing instruments, posthumously produced by EGO.M (with Gianfranco Cavaglià)


Publications

* Ferrari, P., ''Achille Castiglioni'', Electa, Milan, 1984. . . * Sparke, P. ''Design in Italy: 1870 to the present,'' Abbeville Press, New York, 1988. . . * Antonelli, P., Guernaccia, S., ''Achille Castiglioni'', Edizioni Corraini, Mantova, 2000. . . * Dardi, D., Achille Castiglioni, Testo & Immagine, Torino, 2001 * Polano, S., Achille Castiglioni tutte le opere 1938-2000, Electa, Milano, 2001 * Cavaglia, G., Di Achille Castiglioni, Edizioni Corraini, Mantova, 2006 * Taki, Y., Design as a Quest for Freedom, Axis, 2007 * Vercelloni, M., Achille e Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, 24 Ore Cultura, Milano, 2011 * Bettinelli, E., La voce del Maestro. Achille Castiglioni, Edizioni Corraini, Mantova 2014. . . * Dizionario enciclopedico di architettura e urbanistica, Istituto Editoriale Romano, Roma, 1969, vol. III, 510 * MacMillan Encyclopedia of Architects, The Free Press, New York, 1982, 392 * Dizionario dell'architettura del XX secolo, a cura di C. OLMO, Allemandi, Torino, 2000, 34-36 * Gli archivi di architettura in Lombardia. Censimento delle fonti, a cura di G.L. CIAGA', CASVA - Centro di Alti Studi sulle Arti Visive, con la collaborazione della Soprintendenza archivistica della Lombardia e del Politecnico di Milano, Milano, 2003., 56 * Gli archivi di architettura design e grafica in Lombardia. Censimento delle fonti, a cura di G. L. CIAGA', CASVA - Centro di Alti Studi sulle Arti Visive (Quaderni del CASVA, 11), con la collaborazione della Soprintendenza archivistica della Lombardia e del Politecnico di Milano, Milano, 2012


References


External links

*
Foundation Achille Castiglinoi

Achille Castiglioni speech
(''transcription, in Italian'') International Design Conference, Aspen, Colorado (1989)
"Achille e Pier Giacomo Castiglioni"
RAI Television documentary, Part One (''in Italian'')

RAI Television documentary, Part Two (''in Italian'')

Domus magazine
"100 Years of Castiglioni: His Geologist Daughter Digs into the Designer's Layered Legacy"

Arco Lamp assembly
short film (''narration in French'') {{DEFAULTSORT:Castiglioni, Achille 1918 births 2002 deaths Polytechnic University of Milan alumni Polytechnic University of Milan faculty Royal Designers for Industry Architects from Milan Italian furniture designers Italian industrial designers Italian designers Product designers Lighting designers Designers Compasso d'Oro Award recipients