Mid-Century Italian Pendant Lamp by Gae Aulenti for Harvey Guzzini, 1970

Italian architect-designer Gaetana “Gae” Aulenti (1927-2012) was born in the town of Palazzolo dello Stella, near Trieste. Defying her parents’ wishes, she studied architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, graduating in 1954—one of only two women in a class of 20.

From 1955 to 1965, Aulenti was a contributor and Art Director for architectural magazine Casabella. During this time, she became an active proponent of the Neo Liberty movement and championed the revival of traditions motifs and individual expression, which had been discouraged during the years dominated by modernism. Through her wide-ranging work—covering industrial and exhibition design, furniture, graphics, stage design, lighting, and interior design—she became a leading voice of postmodernism as the 20th century progressed. Notably, her work was featured in MoMA’s landmark 1972 exhibition, Italy: The New Domestic Landscape, which also spotlighted the work of pioneering talents like Mario Bellini, Joe Colombo, Ettore Sottsass, and Superstudio, to name a few.

Aulenti’s architectural career is remarkable for the fact that she salvaged and repurposed a substantial number of buildings that were neglected or even set for demolition. In 1980, she was offered the difficult challenge of reinventing the old Beaux-Arts-style Gare d’Orsay railway station in Paris, transforming it into the famous Musée d‘Orsay. In this project, she chose to bridge the architectural gap between the Louvre and the Pompidou Centre by creating a cavernous and expansive interior for the museum. When the Musée d‘Orsay opened in 1986, it was deemed too radical by many critics. Aulenti, however, was quick to point out the thousands of visitors who lined up each day to visit.

Soon after, Aulenti took on more large-scale museum re-designs, including the Musée National d’Art Moderne at the Centre Pompidou (1982-85); Palazzo Grassi in Venice (1985-86); and the new Asian Art Museum in San Francisco (1996-2003). Other architectural achievements include the new entrance for Santa Maria Novella Train Station in Florence (1990); Palazzo Italia at EXPO in Seville (1992); the restoration of the Scuderie Papali at the Quirinale in Rome (1999); the renovation of Piazzale Cadorna in Milan (2000); the Museo and Dante stations on underground line 1, alongside the redesign of Piazza Cavour and Piazza Dante in Naples (1999-2002); the Catalan Museum of Art in Barcelona (1985-2004); the restoration of the Palavela in Turin for the Winter Olympic Games in 2006; the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Tokyo (2006); and the restoration of Palazzo Branciforte in Palermo (2011).

In the areas of furniture, branding, and interior design, Aulenti was regularly commissioned by major international companies, such as Artemide, Banca Commerciale Itliana, Fiat, Ideal Standard, Knoll International, Louis Vuitton, Martinelli Luce , Olivetti , and Pirelli , among others. Iconic designs by Aulenti include the Pileino Lamp for Artemide (1972); the Giova Lamp (1964), Tavolo Con Ruote Table (1980), and Tour Table (1993) for Fontana Arte; the Sgarsul Rocking Chair (1962) and Locus Solus Chair (1963) for Poltranova ; and April Folding Chair (1964), and Sanmarco Table (1984) for Zanotta. Many of her designs remain in production today.

Aulenti won many awards over the course of her career, including the Ubi Prize for Stage Design in 1980; the Architecture Medal from the Academie d'Architecture, Paris in 1983; the Josef Hoffmann Prize from the Hochschule fur Angewandte Kunst, Vienna in 1984; France’s Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in 1987; the Praemium Imperiale for Architecture in 1991; and the title of “Knight Grand Cross” of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1995.

Aulenti passed away in 2012 at the age of 85. She remains a significant architectural influence who made incredible strides for women in her profession. 

*Images courtesy of Archivo Gae Aulenti, Artemide, Martinelli Luce, Zanotta

Harvey Guzzini is often mistakenly thought to be the name of a lighting designer active in the 1960s and 1970s. But in fact the label belongs to a lighting manufacturing company, which was founded by six Guzzini brothers—Raimondo, Giovanni, Virgilio, Giuseppe, Adolfo and Giannunzio—who were inspired by the 1950 film Harvey starring James Stewart. Compounding the historical record even further, it seems that the Guzzini company rebranded many times in the 20th century, going by, at various points, Harvey Creazioni, Harvey Guzzini, Guzzini, iGuzzini, and Illuminazione Guzzini.

Harvey Creazioni was originally founded in 1959 in Recanti (on the east central coast of Italy) by Raimondo, focusing on the production of copper-plated decorative objects. Four years later, in June 1963, the six brothers joined together and established Harvey Creazioni di Guzzini, expanding production to include pendant lighting, sconces, and lamps, floor lamps. The brothers employed architect-designer Luigi Massoni—who was introduced to the Guzzini brothers by leading plastic importer Maurizio Adreani—as head of design, branding, public relations, and advertizing.

Famous Harvey Guzzini designs include Massoni and Luciano Buttura's Mushroom Table Lamp (1965), as well as the in-house designed Arc Floor Lamp (1968), Faro Table Lamp (1970), and Toledo Table Lamp (1973). Studio 6G, an interning design team, developed the collectible Clan Table Lamp (1968); and designers Ermanno Lampa and Sergio Brazzoli were responsible for the Nastro Series (1970), Orione Pendant (1970), Sirio Table Lamp (1970), Alba Floor Lamp (1973), Albanella Table Lamp (1973), and Alf Series (1976).

Around 1976, Harvey Guzzini ceased the production of copper-plated items to concentrate on lighting made almost exclusively from methacrylate plastic (acrylic). The company also dabbled in furniture production, collaborating with Yugoslavian furniture producer Meblo, located in Nova Gorica in present day Slovenia.

In 1967-68 the company exhibited at Domus: Formes Italiennes in the Galeries Lafayette in Paris under the name Design House (DH), where the company featured Gio Ponti’sMedia Lamp. A retail outlet was opened in central Milan under the name Harvey Guzzini-DH in 1969, situating the brand literally and figuratively among the best known Italian design houses.

In 1974 the company rebranded once more as iGuzzini—adding “Illuminazione” in 1981—which still exists today with headquarters in Recanati, Italy.