Achille Castiglioni

(1918-2002)

Achille Castiglioni was a renowned Italian designer and architect, one of the founders of contemporary Italian design. He is famous for his iconic furniture, innovative lighting solutions, laconic radiograms and other pieces. 

The future architect was born and raised in Milan, in the family of hereditary artisans. His father, Giannino Castiglioni was a prominent sculptor, while the two brothers were architects and practiced industrial design, and so did Achille Castiglioni. Before following his own artistic path, he worked in cooperation with the brothers. The legendary artisan only started to work alone in 1968, more than 20 years after having begun his career. Achille Castiglioni created more than 150 pieces, alone or in collaboration with other eminent makers, during more than 50 years. He was also a professor at The Polytechnic University of Milan and taught at the Polytechnic University of Turin. 

Castiglioni's design ideas are used by such renowned makers as Alessi, Olivetti, Lancia, Cassina and Marcatre. The lamps, chairs, bookshelves, electrical outlets, cameras, telephones, vacuum cleaners and even car seats he created are used by many people as part of their daily life, although they do not even know the name Castiglioni. In the studio where Castiglioni worked for the last decades, his ideas are still being digitized. It is also Castiglioni, who in partnership with his brothers invented the legendary “Lierna” chair for Cassina. Some of the items produced by the prominent designer turned out to be ahead of the time and were even considered too innovative. One of such inventions was a portative vacuum cleaner “Spalter”, designed for Rem. Another example is the “Mezzadro” chair, created for Zanotta. The chair was originally made from the saddle of a tractor.

Along with such iconic designers and artisans as Piero Fornasetti, Harvey Guzzini and Tommaso Barbi Achille Castiglioni determined the direction of the interior design development in Italy and set the highest standard for the next generation of designers, architects and artists around the world.