Born in Milan in 1918, Achille Castiglioni, like his brother Pier Giacomo, studied architecture at the Milan Polytechnic. He graduated in 1944 and joined his two older brothers in their design studio in Milan. Their work stands out for its particular conception of products through a logical analysis of the functions that the object must fulfil and the means to achieve this. The design, which is very pure, comes next to enable the object to perform its functions. Between 1950 and 1960, the Castiglioni brothers designed a number of products for major brands such as Flos, which produced the Arco floor lamp, a design classic, and Zanotta, for which they created the famous Mezzadro stool with a tractor saddle. The death of Pier Giacomo in 1968 put an end to the collaborations. When his brother died, Achille Castiglioni continued to design products such as the Lampadina and the Scrittarello desk. He also devotes much of his time to teaching design, first in Turin and then in Milan.
2.
DE PADOVA
"Amazed by the lines and diversity" of Scandinavian furniture, Fernando and Maddalena De Padova set up De Padova so he could import it into Italy. The founders very swiftly went on to meet with the most prestigious producers, such as Vitra and Hermann Miller before collaborating with the biggest names in design. In particular, Achille Castiglioni designed the Scritarello desk in natural beech and with various tops, creating all its character and visual strength. De Padova's children took over the company and continue to develop remarkable and original furniture with the aim of it becoming tomorrow's classics.