GAE AULENTI

Gae Aulenti (1927-2012)

 

Born in 1927 in Palazzolo dello Stella, Gae Aulenti studied at the prestigious Politecnico di Milano.

After graduating in 1954, she started a private practice interior design for corporate clients such as Olivetti, Pirelli, Knoll or Fiat.

 

Also committed to theoretical debate, she joined the influential design magazine, Casabella, then leaded by Ernesto Nathan Rogers.

Through the so-called Neo-Liberty movement, they advocated moving beyond Rationalism and defended the inclusion of cultural and historical contexts in architectural practice.

 

Gae Aulenti was involved in many successful projects in design and architecture.

Among those are the famous « Pipistrello »  table lamp (1965) or the creation of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris (1986).

 

She was also strongly committed in scenography for exhibitions or theatrical projects while also involved in teaching at the Iuav in Venice and the Politecnico di Milano.

 

Gae Aulenti received the Japanese award, the Praemium Imperia for architecture in 1991.