Achille Castiglioni: Complete Works by Sergio Polano

ISBN: 978904313045

Phaidon Press, September 2002

Hardback, 476 pages

This is a comprehensive monograph on the work of Achille Castiglioni, one of the most important designers of the second half of the 20th century. Architect and designer of lighting, exhibitions, and a variety of products, the Milan-based Castiglioni has been working since the 1930s and is today recognized around the world as one of the undisputed masters of contemporary design. He has been the subject of numerous exhibitions, including a one-man show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in the early 1990s. Many of his products have been awarded with the prestigious Compasso d'oro prize. Achille Castiglioni was born in 1918. After his degree in architecture in 1944, he started his career, concentrating mostly in architecture, often in collaboration with his brother Pier Giacomo Castiglioni. Immediately after the war, in response to the industrialization of Italy, he turned his activity mainly to industrial and exhibition design. During his long career he has created objects that have become international icons, including the Arco, Frisbi (1978) and Parentesi lamps (1971), the San Luca armchair, the Bramante and Leonardo da Vinci tables. His strikingly innovative creations reveal just how much design can reflect an era, defining trends and cultural values. This book is a chronological account of all of Castiglioni's activities as both an architect and designer, revealing the wide scope of work he has done and the sheer number of projects he has conceived. Based on an in-depth study of Castglioni's archives, the text features illustrations of every project accompanied by a full and critical description. With a rich array of photographs and other graphic material, this book covers the whole range of Castiglioni's work, from architecture to product design, from museum-planning to the creation of exhibition spaces.