Vico Magistretti

Vico Magistretti

The Milan-born designer completed his architecture studies at the famous Polytechnic School of Milan in 1939 and attended additional lectures at the Champ Universitaire Italien in Lausanne, Switzerland, from 1943. Vico Magistretti obtained his Diploma in architecture when he returned to Milan in 1945. He started his career together with Paolo Chessa in his father's office, Pier Giulio Magistretti who was also an architect.

Aside from some architectural projects in the 1950s, Vico Magistretti started his career as an industrial designer in the 1960s. It was at this time that he designed his most famous creations, like the Eclisse light or the Dalù light for the Italian tradition company Artemide.

The seats Maralunga and Carimate which are still emblematic for the Swinging London, centre of pop-culture in the 1960s, made Vico Magistretti famous all over the world. The Italian designer won the Compasso d'Oro Award for his iconic Atollo table lamp for Oluce in 1979. The latter and other creations are now world-famous designer classics by Vico Magistretti. Many of his works are displayed at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The architect and designer died on September 19th, 2006 in Milan.

Photo: ©Fondazione Vico Magistretti

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