Paolo ferrari achille castiglioni biography

Achille Castiglioni—nicknamed Cici—was a pioneer of Italian design and one of its most influential protagonists.

The son of a prominent Milanese sculptor, Giannino Castiglioni, he started dedicating himself to design in 1938 at 20 years old.

He graduated in architecture from the Politecnico University of Milan in 1944 and joined his brothers Livio (1911-1979) and Pier Giacomo(1913-1968) at renowned Studio Castiglioni, which they established together in 1938.

He focused on the whole field of design working from architecture to urban planning, from exhibition to furniture design, on to product and light design.

He designed chairs and tables, lamps and bookcases, ashtrays and valet stands, dishes and flatwares, school desks and hospital beds, sinks and toilet bowls, handles and bottle openers, coffee machines and beer dispensers, and many more.

Until 1968 he always worked in close c