Achille Castiglioni

Achille Castiglioni was born in Milan in 1918 and since 1940 has dedicated himself to experimentation on industrial products, together with the architect brothers Livio (1911-1979) and Pier Giacomo (1913-1968). With the latter, after graduating in architecture in 1944, he gave life to a design activity characterized by research on "new" forms, techniques and materials, tending to the realization of an "integral" design process. Castiglioni is one of the founders of ADI, the Association for Industrial Design, and is the protagonist of numerous editions of the Milan Triennale, up to the "Nuova Triennale" in 1979, where he is among the twelve Italian designers of the "Collection of Design". Of particular importance is the role played by Achille Castiglioni in the creation of some of the most ingenious objects of modern design, designed in the most diverse types and with international success, together with countless installations, from those for the Milan Triennale to the exhibition of the Zanotta collection at the "Forum Design" in Linz in 1980. Its production is documented in essays on Italian design, in the annals of the Compasso d'Oro award (awarded several times), as well as in the collections of the most important design museums in the world. Compasso d'Oro Award 1955 (Luminator lamp), 1960 (T 12 Palini chair), 1962 (Pitagora coffee machine), 1964 (Spinamatic beer tap), 1967 (headset for simultaneous translations), 1979 (Parentesi lamp), 1979 (Omsa hospital bed), 1984 (Dry cutlery). In 1980 the archive of the study held with his brother Pier Giacomo was acquired by the Studies Center and Communication Archive of the University of Parma. In 1984 his traveling solo exhibition opens in Vienna at the Museum für Angewandte Kunst, later held at the Hochschule für Bildende Kunste in Berlin, Triennale di Milano, Kunstgewerbe Museum in Zurich, Gemeentemuseum in The Hague, Circulo des Bellas Artes in Madrid, Center Georges Pompidou (Beaubourg) in Paris. In 1986 the Rohsska Konstslöjdmuseet in Göteborg dedicated an exhibition to him of the pieces he designed for Zanotta and Flos. Many of Achille Castiglioni's main works are present at the MOMA in New York, where a large retrospective exhibition was held in: ACHILLE CASTIGLIONI DESIGN !. In addition to the American museum, other important galleries exhibit his works including: Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Kunstgewerbe Museum in Zurich, Staatliches Museum fur Angewandte Kunst in Munich, Design Museum in Prato, Uneleckoprumyslove Museum in Prague, Israel Museum in Jerusalem, The Denver Art Museum, Vitra Design Museum of Weil am Rhein, Angewandte Kunst Museum of Hamburg and Cologne. Achille Castiglioni paired with his brother Pier Giacomo has designed serial production objects for companies such as: Kartell, Zanotta, Flos, Bernini, Siemens, Knoll, Poggi, Lancia, Ideal Standard, Arflex, Alessi. The design and critical activity (in the period between 1950 and 1960 carried out with the magazine "Stile Industria") is combined with teaching practice: a free lecturer since 1969, since 1981, Achille Castiglioni has held the chair of Furniture and Design Industrial at the Faculty of Architecture of the Milan Polytechnic.