Cassina
Principi Chair

Gio Ponti (1891-1979) is considered the great “noble father” of Italian design. Milanese since his birth, one of the greatest architects of the twentieth century, he has conceptualized for his whole life a peculiar Italian way to modernity, in which the rich artisan and decorative tradition was not overcome, but enhanced and integrated at best with the most recent trends. Among his most famous works, the Pirelli skyscraper in Milan, a technical prodigy and at the time the tallest building in Italy, and Palazzo Montecatini. His theoretical and popularizing activity was very intense: in 1928 he founded the magazine Domus, which he directed for a long time for several periods, until almost his death, and which still remains the focal point of the debate on Italian architecture. It was also his idea to establish the Compasso d'Oro, in collaboration with la Rinascente, and he was one of the promoters of the birth of ADI, the Association for Industrial Design. His practical activity as a designer was also intense and full of successes: in the 1920s he was artistic director of Richard Ginori, helping to renew the world of ceramics, and then in 1932 he founded the FontanaArte company, with which he dedicated himself to the sector of lighting. In the postwar period he collaborated with Cassina, Venini, Ideal Standard and many other companies. Since 2012, Molteni & C. collaborates with the heirs of the Maestro to re-propose many of his most famous furnishings in a dedicated collection of great philological precision.Read more