CARLO DE CARLI (1910-1999) was not only an architect and designer, who made a profound impact on design in the 20th century, but also one of Italy’s leading and most respected professors, who left a fundamental mark of theoretical reflections and ethics of behaviour in an entire generation of architects.

He graduated in architecture from the Politecnico di Milan in 1934 – a university in which he was strongly connected to throughout his career, being Dean of the Faculty of Architecture from 1965 to 1968 and teaching there until 1986. A respected academic and writer, his philosophy focused on the integration of space, material and the human body and gesture, and with this ideology he effectively engaged a dialog between design, universities and the craftsmanship world.

He worked with legendary architect and designer Gio Ponti, and his years with Ponti came to shape young Carlo De Carli’s language and approach to design. He later went on to set up a studio on his own, where his design quickly became widely recognized and manufactured by some of the most important and innovative Italian design companies.

(Photo Credit: Casati Gallery; Source: Gubi)