Antonio Citterio | Master of Modernism

1950 Meda, Italy: a pioneer in furniture design was born. One of the most under-stated designers in the business today, Citterio continues to design countless objects that most designers could only dream of creating.

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Citterio graduated in architecture at the Politecnico di Milano and since 1972 continues to design for most of the leading furniture and accessory manufacturers world-wide, such as B&B Italia, Flexform, Flos, Iittala, Kartell, and Vitra. B&B Italia’s Maxalto collection is designed and coordinated exclusively by Antonio Citterio.

He has also been engaged in architectural works, dealing with construction projects and interiors, both in Italy and abroad. Citterio holds lectures and conferences and his work has been extensively exhibited and published.

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Armchairs: Morgan, Jenny and Margaret

He has won numerous prizes, among which, the prestigious Compasso d’Oro twice: in 1987 (for the Sity seating system) and 1995 (Mobil container system). His products have been inducted into the MoMA’s  permanent collection, as well as the Centre Georges-Pompidou in Paris.

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The new Charles outdoor collection for B&B Italia

Citterio’s design approaches seem practical, straight-forward, traditional. They are indeed all of those but upon closer inspection, you will discover the aesthetic characteristics and underlying attributes that set him apart from the rest and exemplify the care and attention to detail that the Italian industrial design community has demanded of their creatives for ages.
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Groundpiece, ABC and Lifewood for Flexform

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Citterio talks about the new Beverly folding chair for B&B Italia_

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Citterio has a kind and honest face, he wears an understated attire and when he speaks, he is not afraid to show humility and a ‘down-to-earth’ attitude. You won’t see him proudly flashing a new over-priced watch, sunglasses or rolling up to a red carpet in a million dollar sports car… by all means, he could but he has no need and likely no desire to. Citterio is a perfect model to argue that, to be a successful industrial designer, you don’t need to be a celebrity, you simply need to create beautiful, long-lasting objects – at the end of the day, public image comes second to the quality of ones work.

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For Iittala: Collective Tools spoon, Citterio 98 series cutlery and Collective Tools pepper mill

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Citterio’s Factory kitchen system for Boffi

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He may not be the most famous or glamorous designer known today but he is  by far the most accomplished. In a league of his own, Citterio’s presence in the design community generates admiration and great respect within even the most celebrated furniture designers.

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Skape, Axess Plus, AC4, and the new ID chair

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You could say that Mr. Citterio is one of few true industrial design masters of our time. To a lay person, he may seem like just another big designer – to many designers, Citterio creates pieces through substance and logic, he is a trailblazer and a creative magician of sorts.

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Eileen side table, Infinity shelf and Mobil

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I find his work far from ordinary yet somehow familiar. Highly original yet obvious.  Often, when I see new Citterio pieces I have those “why has this not been done before?” moments. It’s hard to imagine a future in design where Citterio’s legacy does not continue to echo and reemerge, expectantly.

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Additional interviews:
2010 Architonic Interview
2011 during Salone del Mobile

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