Gio Ponti
Giovanni Ponti, known as Gio, was one of the most important figures in 20th-century design. An architect, industrial designer, artist and publisher, he is considered one of the fathers of modern architecture in Italy. After obtaining his degree in 1921, Gio Ponti got his first job as artistic director of Richard-Ginori in 1923. In 1927, he joined forces with Emilio Lancia to found the Ponti-Lancia studio. The following year, he founded the prestigious Domus magazine. By this time, his career was well underway, branching out into various artistic fields. He designed high-end furniture and mass-produced items manufactured and sold by La Rinascente under the Domus Nova name. In 1931, he began working with the Luigi Fontana company - later named FontanaArte - and became its artistic director. In the early '30s, he designed the Bilia table lamp, the 0024 lamp collection, and the 1932 steel and glass coffee table, still in the company's catalogue. He also continued his career as an architect. In 1936, he began to teach the "Interiors, Furnishing and Decoration" course at the Milan Polytechnic, which he held until 1961.
Immediately after the war, he started working with the Venetian company Venini, designing the spectacular blown glass lamps for the collection that bears his name; they are still in the brand's catalogue. In 1948, he created the legendary La Cornuta coffee machine for La Pavoni, and in 1954, he was among the creators of the Compasso d'Oro award. This was the beginning of one of his most fertile periods, especially in product design; in the field of architecture, he completed the design for one of Milan's most iconic buildings, the Pirelli skyscraper (1956). Ponti also designed furnishings and accessories, some still in production: cutlery from the Conca collection, also available in a children's version and the steel centrepiece for Sambonet (1951); the Pirellina - Pirellone lamp collection inspired by his skyscraper for FontanaArte (1967); and the Fato lamp collection for Artemide (1969).
Some of his iconic pieces result from collaborations with various brands. Cassina has produced the Superleggera chair without interruption since 1957. Molteni & C. boasts a rich collection of Gio Ponti-designed furniture and seating in the Gio Ponti Collection, which includes, among others, the D.154.2 armchair (1953), the D.154.5 round armchair (1954), the D.153.1 armchair (1953) and the D.552.2 wood and glass coffee table. Finally, the Poltrona Frau catalogue includes the iconic and timeless Dezza line chairs, designed in 1965 for his Milan home. Gio Ponti died in 1979 in Milan, in the home he designed in Via Dezza.
