ACHILLE CASTIGLIONI

Achille Castiglioni (1918-2002)

 

Castiglioni was born on 16 February 1918 in Milan, in Lombardy in northern Italy. His elder brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo were both architects.

In the 1930s he studied in the faculty of architecture of the Polytechnic University of Milan.

 

Following the war, Castiglioni joined the architectural design practice that his brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo had started with Luigi Caccia Dominioni in 1938. Much of their work was in exhibition design, but they also carried out a number of architectural projects, including the reconstruction in 1952–53 of the Palazzo della Permanente, which had been destroyed by bombing in 1943.

Livio Castiglioni left the practice in 1952. From then until Pier Giacomo died in 1968, he and Achille worked as a team.The brothers created a number of works that explored Marcel Duchamp's concept of the "ready-made" by incorporating and repurposing existing objects into new designs. After the death of Pier Giacomo, Castiglioni worked alone.

Together with Pier Giacomo, in 1957 he designed "Sella" and "Mezzadro" stools for Zanotta, as well as the "Cubo" couch for Arflex. In 1959, they began working with Kartell, designing lighting and furniture, including a collection of tables and stools called « Rochetto". Also for Flos, in 1962 they designed both the "Toio" lamp, assembled from "ready-made" surplus hardware, and the "Arco" lamp, which consists of a long arched stainless-steel cantilevered support, an adjustable shade made of perforated spun aluminium, and a heavy marble base.

They also explored the « cocoon » technique, also used by Afra & Tobia Scarpa, giving birth to the « Viscontea » and « Taraxacum » chandeliers.

From 1969 he taught architectural and design subjects, first at the Politecnico di Torino, and then, from 1980 when he became an ordinario or full professor, at the Politecnico di Milano.