Carlo de Carli

Background

Carlo De Carli (Milan, 7 November 1910 - Milan, 3 March 1999) was an Italian architect, designer and theorist of architecture. Italian Wikipedia says he was born in Milan to a middle-class family with maternal roots on Lake Garda, worked for a year in Gio Ponti's studio after his architecture degree, and later succeeded Ponti at the Politecnico di Milano. GUBI dates his degree to 1934.

Signature Style

His work as a designer was tied to a theoretical way of thinking that places the person at the centre of the project. GUBI sums up his philosophy as the integration of space, material, and the human body and gesture. Italian Wikipedia describes his idea of a primary space (spazio primario) as the foundation of architecture.

Notable Works

His furniture was produced by firms including Cassina, Tecno, Sormani, Longhi and Cinova. The Model 683 chair won the first Compasso d'Oro in 1954 and the Balestra armchair for Tecno won the Grand Prize at the 11th Triennale in 1957. His buildings include the Sant'Erasmo theatre (1951-53) and the church of Sant'Ildefonso (1955-56) in Milan.

Legacy

De Carli taught at the Politecnico di Milano until 1986 and was Dean of the Faculty of Architecture from 1965 to 1968. He edited the magazine Interni from 1967 to 1971. His archive is held by the historical archives of the Politecnico, and GUBI says his intellectual legacy is managed by his family.