Alessandro Mendini

Alessandro Mendini is an architect and Italian designer, born with Milan in 1931, which played a big role in the history of the Italian design.

Biography

It continues studies of architecture to the Polytechnic school of Milan until 1959.

During the years 1970, it is one of the important members of the movement Radical design . In 1973, it cofonde the school of Total design tools . At the end of the years 1970, he collaborates in the Studio Alchimia with many Italian designers like Ettore Sottsass, Andrea Branzi or Michele De Lucchi. In 1978, it begins its work of redesign .

In parallel of its work of creator, it directs the magazine of architecture Casabella (1970 - 1976), then the review Modo (1977 - 1981) and re-examined Domus of 1979 to 1985 celebrates it.

In 1989, it opens with his brother Francesco Mendini the Atelier Mendini in which it continues to work.

He was also artistic director of the watches Swatch and adviser for Alessi, Philips and Swaroski.

He was rewarded by several rewards internationalles, whose gold Compas in 1979 and 1981 with the Alchimia Studio and is Chevalier of Arts and the Letters.

Its work

The work of Mendini falls under an at the same time decorative and critical step which aims at breaking with the international modernism. Mendini likes to use the color to revive objects of the daily newspaper (Coffee machine Oggetto Banale , series of articles of kitchen for Alessi).

Its creations are often criticisms merry and coloured the traditional ones of the design; in particular through redesign (re-creation) of objects created by others which it transforms and “embellishes” by using new colors and materials: it amongst other things, recreated the chair '' Wassily '' of Marcel Breuer or the chair Universale of Joe Colombo.

Outstanding achievements

Design

Put aside, its small objects created for Alessi, the design of Mendini is little known general public:

Seat of Wassily author of Marcel Breuer (1978), Workshop Mendini
Armchair Proust (1978), Alchimia, now produced by Cappellini
Banal Coffee machine Oggetto (1980)
Chair Margherita (1990), Elam Uno
Corkscrew Anna G (1994), Alessi

Structure

Groninger Museum, Groningue, Netherlands, in collaboration with the architects and designers: Michele De Lucchi, Gerd Koster, Feruccio Laviani, Philippe Starck, Frank Stella, Coop Himmelb (L) with the
Alessi Residence, Omegna, Italy
Torre dell' orologio (turn of the clock), Gibellina, Italy

Notes and references of the article

Random links: