Achille Castiglioni

Born: 1918 - Died: 2002
Best-known work: Arco lamp, Snoopy lamp, Frisbi pendant, Parentesi lamp, Toio floor lamp, Taraxacum pendant
Training: Designer

Background
Achille Castiglioni was a famous industrial designer who created many lamps for Flos, including the Snoopy, Arco, Frisbi, Toio and Parentesi lamps. He was frequently inspired by everyday objects made use of common materials. He kept material consumption to a minimum but created products with maximum effect.

Achille Castiglioni studied architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan and opened a design studio in 1944 with his brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni. Livio withdrew from the business in 1952 and the business continued as a partnership.

Together, the two men formed one of the most important/witty, elegant and innovative creative teams in the history of modern design.

the brothers worked from the perspective that design must restructure an object’s function, form and production process, and brought this ethos to every object they created. Castiglioni himself described their work practice with these words: “Start from scratch. Stick to common sense. Know your goals and means.”