mid century furniture designers: gio ponti

Gio Ponti

Gio Ponti was a highly influential and creative architect who had a career spanning 60 years in design, architecture, painting, and journalism. He was a professor of the Architecture department at Milan University from 1936 to 1961, and founded the renowned Italian design magazine "Domus". He was renowned for his timeless furniture designs such as the Superleggera chair for Cassina, and was a prominent figure in the Italian design and art scene, actively participating in and supporting exhibitions and awards contests such as Triennale Milano and ‘Compasso D’Oro’ design award.

In an interview in 1976, Ponti described his concept of the ‘ideal home’: a functional but minimalist space, flexible and open, with walls abandoned for open spaces, and the sensation of coercion annulled. Ponti wanted to materialize his ideas by designing residential or rental homes that utilized movable and divisible elements, at different heights, to create a fluid and open space that maximized the living space. He sought to create homes that were unique, eschewing the habit of designing homes with square rooms connected by corridors resulting in homes being all the same. To achieve this, he advocated for the avoidance of bulk furniture, and the use of hidden storage spaces, as well as minimal, delicate, and light furniture and objects that make us feel good. This was exemplified in his collaboration with Richard Ginori, where he designed refined furniture and decor objects.