Alessandro Mendini

Alessandro Mendini ( born August 16, 1931 in Milan ) is an Italian designer and architect. He played an important role in the development of design in Italy. He worked alongside his artistic career as a publisher of magazines " Casabella ", " Nodo " and " Domus ".

Life

Alessandro Mendini studied architecture at the Milan Polytechnic, graduating in 1959. During the seventies he was one of the most important figures in the protest movement of the " Radical Design ". In 1973 he was a founding member of the group Global Tools, 1979, he became a partner of Ettore Sottsass and Michele De Lucchi in the newly founded Studio Alchimia. In 1982 he was co-founder of the first postgraduate design school Domus Academy in Milan. In 1989, Mendini together with his brother Francesco Mendini the studio,

Mendini was chief editor of the architecture magazine Casabella (1970 /76) and of Modo (1977 /81) as well as editor of the magazine Domus (1979 /85).

Work

Mendini was a trendsetter of his time, and his work tried art, architecture and design together. Together with other Italian designers, he developed the so-called " Banal Design" by using innovative colors and shapes he gave everyday objects a new ironic appearance. Mendini called this process re-design.

To 1978, he focused on the re-design of well-known and famous old chairs; so was at this time a re-design of Marcel Breuer's Wassily chair, Kandinsky sofa, Poltrona di Proust and the classic Thonet chair.

In the Studio Mendini, which he ran with his brother Francesco, was the Groninger Museum ( Netherlands) ( joint work of Alessandro Mendini with Philippe Starck, Frank Stella and Michele de Lucchi ) and the Paradise Tower in Hiroshima, where Mendini much emphasis on team work laid and in the realization of the projects always worked in cooperation with other guest designers.

Early 90s Mendini created some models for Swatch, including the 2 Club Special Lots of Dots, which reflects his interpretation of the style of pointillism in an impressive way. His creations also includes the Corkscrew Parrot.

Projects

  • The Galleria Mendini in Tumringerstraße in Lörrach
  • The renovation of the facade of the Casino in Arosa Arosa
  • The Scuola del Mosaico in Spilimbergo
  • The Forum di Omegna, a multifunctional park and museum
  • The renovation of the historic " Parco della Villa Comunale " in Naples
  • Indoor swimming pool in Trieste
  • Tram stop at BUSSTOPS in Hannover 1994
  • Media Centre Madsack in Steintorviertel of Hannover 2007
Domus (magazine) Marcel Proust Hanover Integrated Authority File
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