When I think of vintage modern furnishings invariably the classic icons come to mind; Le Corbusier, Mies van de Rohe, Marcel Breuer, Eero Saarinen, Alvar Aalto, Jean Prouvè, Arne Jacobsen, George Nelson or Florence Knoll. But when I think of exceptional Italian vintage modern art forms the name Gio Ponti (1891-1979) registers.
Ponti’s architectural career spanned roughly five decades from the 1920’s – 1970’s. Certainly a pinnacle of his career was the commission to design the 32-story Pirelli Tower in Milan in the early 1950’s. It was the first skyscraper in Milan. Thereafter international commissions flourished for Ponti with work in “Caracas, Venezuela, Baghdad, Hong Kong, Eindhoven, the 1971 Denver Art Museum, and finally a series of Milanese churches: San Francesco in 1963, the church at Ospedale San Carlo in 1967, and the Taranto Cathedral in 1971”.
In addition to architecture Ponti pursued industrial design which included a line of furnishings, lighting and ceramics. He designed for Cassina, Artemide and Fontana Arte. Given the broad scope of his work, this post will confine itself photo-wise to only a few of his furniture designs.
Ponti’s architectural career spanned roughly five decades from the 1920’s – 1970’s. Certainly a pinnacle of his career was the commission to design the 32-story Pirelli Tower in Milan in the early 1950’s. It was the first skyscraper in Milan. Thereafter international commissions flourished for Ponti with work in “Caracas, Venezuela, Baghdad, Hong Kong, Eindhoven, the 1971 Denver Art Museum, and finally a series of Milanese churches: San Francesco in 1963, the church at Ospedale San Carlo in 1967, and the Taranto Cathedral in 1971”.
In addition to architecture Ponti pursued industrial design which included a line of furnishings, lighting and ceramics. He designed for Cassina, Artemide and Fontana Arte. Given the broad scope of his work, this post will confine itself photo-wise to only a few of his furniture designs.
images: (click on images to enlarge)
Executive walnut desk, vintage
Lounge chairs Hotel Parco dei Principi, vintage
Montecatini office chair, vintage
Coffee table, vintage
Distex lounge chair, vintage
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