Ponti Gio

Gio Ponti is a legendary architect, designer, graphic artist, publisher, lecturer. He ia a main key figure in Italian post-war design. The author of private villas, hotels and skyscrapers in Italy and beyond. The ideologist and co-founder of the most prestigious design award Compasso d'Oro. Founder and permanent editor-in-chief of Domus magazine. The designer of furniture, fixtures and accessories for 120 companies, many of which have become a symbol of the Italian post-war revival.

He was born in Milan, graduated from Politecnico di Milano, facility of architecture in 1921. Since 1923 Gio Ponti had been the art director of pottery factory Richard Ginori. In 1928 together with the architect Emilio Lancia opened an architectural studio in Milan. In 1931 Gio Ponti, Pietro Chiesa and Luigi Fontana, became the owner of one of the largest glass manufactures in Italy, founded the company Fontana Arte. In 1940s and 50s Ponti as art director collaborated with the most prominent designers: Paolo de Poli, Pietro Chiesa, Gino Sarfatti. Designed and built in 13 countries. There are main architectural projects: Pirelli Tower in Milan (1956), Villa Planchard in Venezuela (1950), Hotel Parco dei Principi in Rome (1964), Montedoria Building Insurance Company in Milan (1970). In 1954, Gio Ponti and Alberto Rosselli became the ideological inspirers of the Compasso d’Oro Award for merits in Italian Industrial Design. In 1968 received Gold Medal for his contribution to the development of world architecture from Académie Royale d’Architecture in France.

Joe Ponti's works are represented in permanent collections of international museums such as MoMa in New York, Vitra Design Museum in Weil am Rhein in Germany, Center Pompidou in Paris, Victoria&Albert Museum in London, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.