Gio Ponti

Italian architect, designer and editor, Gio Ponti (1891-1979), is one of the most influential design visionaries of the 20th century. Ponti designed a wide array of furniture and products through his career - from cabinets, lamps and chairs to ceramics and glassware - and his buildings, including Pirelli tower in Milan, and Denver Art Museum, were erected in 14 countries. Through Domus, the design magazine he founded in 1928, Ponti promoted a new curiosity and open-mindedness towards new design thinking.

Gio Ponti was a conceptualist who always drew lines between the architecture and the interior design. Ponti never viewed architecture as simply creating buildings. Instead, he often conceived of the building's interior as well; creating furniture, lighting appliances, and even ceramics, glassware and silverware to fit the overall concept.

Ponti's signature designs, such as the sleek Superleggera chair for Cassina, or his elegant mirror collection, provide a new perspective on traditional Italian furniture and blend style with functionality. His design was influenced by la dolce vita; he encouraged everybody to use good design to enjoy life to the fullest. This exact colorful, joyful, sensual Italian good life is reflected in his portfolio, and will certainly continue to influence artists and designers well into the future.

Today, a wide range of Ponti's designs are snapped up by savvy collectors who want to give their homes a touch of Italian panache and effortless chic.