Michele De Lucchi was born in Ferrara in 1951 and graduated in architecture in Florence.
Michele De Lucchi has designed lamps and furniture for famous Italian and European companies, such as Artemide, Olivetti, Alias, Unifor, Hermès and Alessi. For Olivetti he was design director from 1988 to 2002 and developed experimental projects for Compaq Computers, Philips, Siemens and Vitra. During this period, he developed a series of theories on the evolution of workplaces.
He designed and restored buildings in Japan for NTT, in Germany for Deutsche Bank, in Switzerland for Novartis, and in Italy for Enel, Olivetti, Piaggio, Poste Italiane and Telecom Italia. In 1999 he was appointed to renovate some ENEL power plants. For Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Bundesbahn, ENEL, Poste Italine, Telecom Italia, Hera, Intesa Sanpaolo and other Italian and foreign banks has collaborated in the development of the corporate image, introducing technical and aesthetic innovation in the workplace.
He has participated in numerous art and design exhibitions, creating construction projects for museums including the Triennale di Milano, the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome, the Neues Museum in Berlin, the Cini Foundation in Venice, the Gallerie d'Italia - Piazza Scala , the Pietà Rondanini museum and Casa Manzoni in Milan. He also developed a series of architectural projects for private and public clients in Georgia, such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Bridge of Peace in Tbilisi. More recently he has undertaken a series of projects for the city of Milan including the pavilions for Expo 2015, and UniCredit Pavilion in Piazza Gae Aulenti.
His professional work has always gone hand in hand with a personal exploration of design, technology and craftsmanship. Since 2004 he has carved small wooden houses using a chain saw to create the essence of architectural style.
In 2003 the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris acquired a considerable number of his works. The selections of its products are exhibited in various design museums in Europe, the United States and Japan.
In 2000 he was appointed Officer of the Italian Republic by President Ciampi, for design and architecture services. In 2001 he was appointed professor at the Faculty of Design and Arts, University of Venice. In 2006 he received an honorary doctorate from Kingston University, for his contribution to the "quality of life". In 2008 he was appointed Professor at the Faculty of Design of the Milan Polytechnic and Member of the National Academy of San Luca in Rome.