Designer
Achille Castiglioni
Achille Castiglioni (1918–2002) was an Italian architect and designer, born in Milan on 16 February 1918, the third son of the sculptor Giannino Castiglioni and Livia Bolla. He graduated in architecture from the Politecnico di Milano in…
Biography
Background
Achille Castiglioni (1918–2002) was an Italian architect and designer, born in Milan on 16 February 1918, the third son of the sculptor Giannino Castiglioni and Livia Bolla. He graduated in architecture from the Politecnico di Milano in 1944 and joined the practice of his brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo.
Signature Style
From 1952 until Pier Giacomo's death in 1968 the two brothers worked as one team. Their designs are witty and rigorously functional, often borrowing Marcel Duchamp's idea of the ready-made — a car headlamp in the Toio lamp, a bicycle saddle in the Sella stool, a tractor seat in the Mezzadro.
Notable Works
- Arco (1962), Taccia (1962), Toio (1962), Snoopy (1967) and Taraxacum for Flos
- Parentesi suspension lamp with Pio Manzù
- RR 126 radiogram for Brionvega; Mezzadro and Sella stools for Zanotta
Legacy
Winner of eight Compasso d'Oro awards and a career Compasso d'Oro, professor at the Politecnico di Torino and di Milano, and subject of a MoMA retrospective in 1997. His studio in Milan is now a foundation museum.
