Luminous sofas

Architect, born in Milan. He directed the magazines “Casabella”, “Modo” and “Domus”. Various monographs have come out in as many languages on his work and on that in collaboration with the Alchimia studio. He creates objects, furniture, environments, pictures, installations and architecture. He collaborates with international companies like Alessi, Philips, Cartier, Bisazza, Swatch, Herms, Venini and is a consultant for various industries even in the far East for what concerns the developing of their image and regarding design. He is honorary member of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design of Jerusalem. In 1979 and in 1981 he was awarded the Gold Compass for design, in France he is “Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres”, he has been honoured by the Architectural League of New York and has received the Laurea Honoris Causa from the Polytechnic of Milan. He was professor of design at the Hochschule fur Angewandte Kunst in Vienna and is honorary professor of the Academic Council of Guangzhou Academy of fine Arts in China. His work can be found in various museums and private collections. His work, both theoretical and written, as well as his designs develop at a crossroad of art, design and architecture. They designed the Alessi Factories and offices and also the Museum of Casalingo at Omegna, he new Olympic swimming pool in Trieste, some underground stations and the restauration of Villa Comunale in Naples, the Byblos Art Hotel-Villa Amistà in Verona, the new offices of the Trend Group in Vicenza, the redevelopment of an industrial area with buildings designated for shopping facilities and for residence in the Bovisa area of Milan, a tower at Hiroshima in Japan, the Museum of Groningen in Holland, an area in Lugano in Swizerland, the building for the Madsack offices in Icheon, the new headquarters of the Triennale of Milan, the Exhibition complex in Incheon, Korea and other buildings in Europe and the U.S.A.

Hansandfranz design studio, Konstantin Landuris and Horst Wittmann, was founded in 2006 and is situated in Munich, Germany. Their design principles are affected by their current studies at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich. The prevailing unconventional, artistic notion at the academy is influencing their work.

Gino Sarfatti (1912, 1985) was born in Venice on 16th September 1912. His father Riccardo, or “Dick”, ran a prosperous business network, while his mother Lucia, known as Micaela, belonged to the Zuccoli family from Trieste. Gino and his brother and sister enjoyed a childhood of economic wellbeing, immersed in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the lagoon city. In 1930 he moved to Genoa to enrol in the Faculty of Aeronaval Engineering. Meanwhile, however, the political situation worsened dramatically. In 1935 his father was ruined by the sea embargo resulting from sanctions imposed on Italy through the League of Nations. At 23, Sarfatti was forced to interrupt his studies. He moved to Milan and founded Arteluce in February 1939. On 6th May of the same year he married Jolanda Marazza. Arteluce opened a sales outlet in Milan’s Corso Littorio, a street now called Corso Matteotti. In 1943, due to the racial laws and bombardments of Milan, he fled with his family to Switzerland. Immediately after the Liberation he returned to Milan and reorganized the company’s production. In 1950 he embarked on an important journey to the United States, and during his absence he entrusted the art direction of Arteluce to Vittoriano Viganò. In 1953 the shop was completely refurbished by Marco Zanuso and it became the centre of international attention. In 1954, the 1063 and 1065 models were awarded the “Grand Prix” at the X Triennale, and the 559 model won the ADI Compasso d’Oro. The following year, he won the prize again with the 1055 model. In 1962 Viganò designed a new Arteluce store in Milan’s Via dell Spiga. The great volume of business involved intense commitment. From 1949, retail production was joined by export operations and large-scale projects, the last of which included the Michelangelo and Raffaello cruise ships and the “cloudlike” Nuvola installation for the Teatro Regio in Turin. In late 1973, Sarfatti decided to sell Arteluce to Flos, and he retired to live in his house in Griante on Lake Como. He passed away on 6th March 1985.

Gio Ponti graduated in Architecture at the Polytechnic of Milan at the end of World War I, after he fought on the front line earning military decorations. In 1921 he married Giulia Vimercati, with whom he had four children: Lisa, Giovanna, Letizia and Giulio. In 1927 he opened a studio in Milan with the architect Emilio Lancia. From the beginning of the 1920’s until 1938 he worked with Richard-Ginori Manufactory and renewed its production. In 1928 he founded the Domus magazine with Gianni Mazzocchi. In 1933 he became the artistic director of Fontana Arte which was another success after the one he obtained with Richard-Ginori.In the 1930’s he participated in the Triennale exhibitions and later he successfully managed a few of them. From 1936 to 1961 he was a professor at the Milan Polytechnic, and in 1933 was associated with Antonio Fornaroli and Eugenio Soncini, until 1945. From this partnership major projects were born, including the Montecatini Palace in Milan from 1936 to 1938, in which Ponti created the "integral design" of the building and the interiors. Other works of the period were civil architecture, including the Littoria Tower in Milan in 1933, school buildings such as the School of Mathematics at the University City Rome in 1934 and the Humanities Faculty and the Rectorate of the University of Padua in 1937. There were also residential projects such as Casa Marmont in 1934 and Milan "Domus" from 1931 to 1936.

After having finished a classical education i got caught up in the pursuit of perfect design, almost getting drowned in a whirlpool of practical experimentation. Only gradually did i recognize the intrinsic value of singular elements of research. Coming to experience the process of development had a liberating effect on my work. To compose light in given circumstances is an important field of interest. Although the influence my objects have on people is of great importance, i can but rely in the long run on my own senses. I built most of what i design in my own workshop - between 10 and 20 pieces a year. Items of all periods are still available, please do not hesitate to enquire