Design Father’s – Gio Ponti Legacy Celebrated in Paris
Happy Friday! As a tradition since January 1st, every Friday on “Authentic Interior” design blog is dedicated to France and it’s design finds. I’ve just come back from a super short business trip to Paris and the first thing I did was to visit Musée des Arts Décoratifs, my design and inspiration Meka. At this time MAD Paris celebrates the retrospective of a modernist architect and design father – Giovanni Ponti, or in short, Gio Ponti, presenting over 400 design pieces with the exhibition “Gio Ponti, Tutto Ponti – Archi-Designer”.
“I am an artist who fell in love with architecture” – Gio Ponti Milan, 1891-1979
Design Father’s – Gio Ponti Legacy Celebrated in Paris
What is the connection between our column about French design which is published every Friday, and an iconic Italian architect Gio Ponti?
The answer is simple. The bonds connecting Gio Ponti to France arose at the beginning of his career, while the young Milanese architect was artistic director for the porcelain manufacturer Richard Ginori. Ponti convinced the family to take part in the International Exhibition of Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris and won it! His connection with France was dominant during his career.
His life and works
Giovanni Ponti, or, Gio Ponti, is a famous Italian architect and designer, often described as “Italian Le Corbusier” (Le Corbusier was an iconic French architect of that time). Gio Ponti actively participated in post-war Milanese reconstruction. In 1923 Ponti was named the artistic director of the porcelain manufacturer Richard Ginori. Then, in partnership with other architects, he designed his first buildings in Milan and in France. He had extreme success in the 1925 International Exhibition of Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. It played a major role in the Renaissance of the decorative arts in Italy.
Design Father’s – Gio Ponti Legacy Celebrated in Paris
Furniture in the 1930s
Gio Ponti encourages the promotion of quality mass-produced furniture. He is also busy creating bespoke luxury pieces. Some of the pieces Ponti designs during this period, become prototypes for industrial production.
Design Father’s – Gio Ponti Legacy Celebrated in Paris
Architectural lighting
Ponti’s signature was a custom made lighting. In his opinion, both the interior and exterior of the house should be enhanced by hidden lighting.
Design Father’s – Gio Ponti Legacy Celebrated in Paris
Have you ever heard of Domus magazine? Ponti founded it in 1928. Besides all these projects, he brought art and industry together by creating a small series of furniture.
Ponti also collaborated with famous Piero Fornasetti who expanded Ponti’s creative universe. During the post-war period, Ponti’s career took off anew, with multiple commissions, including iconic Pirelli tower (the tall building in front of Milano Centrale station). After this project, his career didn’t stop. He designed buildings in Stockholm, New York, and Caracas, where he conceived his Villa Planchart as a total artwork.
Design Father’s – Gio Ponti Legacy Celebrated in Paris
Thousands of talents
Gio Ponti sent thousands of letters to his relatives and friends. What’s interesting, his letters are so artistic and one of a kind!
Gio Ponti’s drawings and sketches make me dream. How beautiful are hand-drawn interior drawings? It is absolutely not comparable to today’s visualizations!
Parco dei Principi Hotel – Sorrente, 1960, where Ponti designed the whole series of mosaic tiles.
In my opinion, Gio Ponti was an iconic archi-designer, and multitasker. He created hundreds of different pieces of furniture and collaborated with other brands, wrote thousands of creative letters, built churches and homes all across the globe. His addition to the French design is non-negotiable and he should not be forgotten as the first modern architect-designer.
Here you can read more inspiring posts about French Design.
