Designer

Achille (1918-2002) and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni (1913-1968) were an influential pair of brothers in Italian design. Together, they created iconic objects from the 1950s onwards that combined functionality with humour and technical sophistication. Their best-known designs include the Arco, Taccia and Toio lamps and the Mezzadro stool. Her work is regarded as a milestone in modern industrial design and is now represented in numerous museums around the world.

Alfred Müller was a Swiss designer of the 1930s and 40s, known for functional lamps in the modernist style. His best-known work is the height-adjustable "Quick 1500" table lamp, designed for the Belmag company. Müller's designs combine technical precision with a clear design language and are among the classics of Swiss industrial design.

Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) was a Finnish architect and designer, known as one of the main representatives of organic functionalism. In addition to buildings such as Villa Mairea, he designed furniture and glass objects characterised by natural materials and curved shapes. Classics include the 60 stool and the Savoy vase, which are still in production today.

Anna Castelli Ferrieri (1918-2006) was an Italian architect and designer. Together with her husband Giulio Castelli, she founded the Kartell company in 1949 and designed numerous pieces of plastic furniture. The stackable "Componibili" containers, which have been produced since the 1960s and are considered classics of Italian design, are particularly well known.

Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971) was a Danish architect and designer who is considered a pioneer of Scandinavian modernism. He became internationally recognised through furniture icons such as the Egg Chair, Swan Chair and Series 7 Chair. His designs combine clean lines, functionality and elegance. Jacobsen often designed holistically - from the architecture to the door handle - and had a lasting influence on the 20th century's understanding of design.

Bruno Rey (*1935) is a Swiss furniture designer, known for the "Rey chair" developed in 1971. This was produced in series by Dietiker and is considered the best-selling Swiss chair. It is characterised by its screwless connection of seat and legs, which gives it stability and a clear form.

Charles (1907-1978) and Ray Eames (1912-1988) were an American designer couple who were among the most influential designers of the 20th century. Together they developed furniture classics such as the Eames Lounge Chair, the Plastic Chair and the Aluminium Chair - often using innovative materials such as plywood, fibreglass or aluminium. In addition to furniture design, they also worked in the fields of architecture, graphics, film and exhibition design. Their work stands for functional elegance, playful form and technical pioneering spirit.

Ettore Sottsass (1917-2007) was an Italian architect, designer and co-founder of the Memphis Group. He became famous for the red Olivetti Valentine typewriter (1969) and the provocative, colourful furniture of the Memphis collection, such as the "Carlton" library. His style combined brightly coloured surfaces, strong contrasts and playful shapes - a statement against rationalist design norms. His career also encompassed architecture, ceramics, glass objects and industrial concepts, for which he received several awards.

George Nelson (1908-1986) was an American architect, designer, author and influential Mid-Century Modern designer. From 1947, he was head of design at Herman Miller, moulded the company into a design icon and brought talents such as Charles & Ray Eames, Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi onto the team. He is known for the Bubble lamp, the Ball Clock and the Marshmallow sofa, among other things. In addition to furniture, he designed living concepts such as the Storagewall and wrote about design theory and practice.

Giancarlo Piretti (*1940 in Bologna) is an Italian designer known for functional furniture with a clear design. He became famous in 1967 with the "Plia" folding chair, an iconic design made of steel and plastic. He worked for Castelli for many years and also designed series such as "Plona" and "DSC 106". Piretti received numerous design awards, including the Compasso d'Oro.

Giotto Stoppino (1926-2011) was an Italian architect and designer. From the 1960s onwards, he designed furniture, lighting and accessories in the style of Italian modernism. He became known for his work with bent plastic and tubular metal, such as chairs, tables and floor lamps. His designs have received numerous awards and are represented in international collections.

Hans Coray (1906-1991) was a Swiss designer and artist. He became famous for the Landi Chair (1938), designed for the Swiss National Exhibition in 1939. The lightweight aluminium chair with a perforated seat shell was stackable, inexpensive and is considered a key work of industrial design. Coray's design was put into series production by Vitra in its original form in 2014 and is still one of the best-known classics of Swiss design today.

Hans Eichenberger (1926-2024) was a Swiss designer and interior architect known for his functional, timeless furniture designs. He left his mark on Swiss design with pieces such as the "Saffa" chair, the HE series and the "Expo" chair. Eichenberger worked for Dietiker, Wogg and Röthlisberger, among others, and was a co-founder of the Swiss Design Group.

Helmut Bätzner (1928-2010) was a German architect and designer. In 1964, he designed the BA 1171 Bofinger chair - the first stackable plastic chair made from a single mould. Made from glass fibre-reinforced polyester, it became a design classic of the 1960s and had a lasting impact on industrial furniture design.

Joe Colombo (1930-1971) was an Italian designer known for his visionary, functional designs. He developed furniture and everyday objects with a strong reference to technology and the lifestyle of the future. His best-known works include the modular Boby Trolley, which is still in production today. Colombo worked in an interdisciplinary way and combined design, architecture and industrial production in clear, often radically modern forms.

Le Corbusier (1887-1965) was a Swiss-French architect, designer and urban planner. He is considered one of the most influential representatives of modern architecture. He became famous for buildings such as the Villa Savoye and the Unité d'Habitation as well as furniture classics such as the LC2 armchair. His ideas on functional, clear design language still characterise architecture and design today.

Marco Zanuso (1916-2001) was an Italian architect and industrial designer who was one of the most influential designers of modern design in Italy. He designed furniture, electrical appliances and everyday objects and frequently collaborated with the designer Richard Sapper, for companies such as Brionvega and Kartell.

Mario Bellini (*1935) is an Italian architect and designer. Since the 1960s, he has created furniture, lighting and electrical appliances for companies such as Cassina, B&B Italia and Olivetti. His best-known designs include the modular "Camaleonda" sofa and the calculator and typewriter series for Olivetti. Bellini left his mark on Italian design internationally and also realised important architectural projects.

Mart Stam (1899-1986) was a Dutch architect and designer, known as the inventor of the free-swinging chair with a tubular steel frame - a revolutionary design from 1926. Stam was part of the avant-garde architecture and design scene around the Bauhaus and New Objectivity. His work is characterised by clear lines, functionality and constructive simplicity.

Max Bill (1908-1994) was a Swiss architect, artist, designer and typographer. He studied at the Bauhaus in Dessau and influenced concrete art and industrial design in the 20th century. His clear, geometric works - such as clocks, furniture and the Ulm Stool - are well known. He was co-founder and first rector of the Ulm School of Design.

Michael Thonet (1796-1871) was a German-Austrian cabinetmaker and entrepreneur. He developed the bending of solid wood with steam and thus made the industrial mass production of furniture possible. His most famous design is chair no. 14, also known as the "Viennese coffee house chair", which is one of the most produced chairs in the world.

Richard Sapper (1932-2015) was a German industrial designer who spent a large part of his career in Italy. He was known for combining technical innovation with clear, functional forms and worked with Marco Zanuso for companies such as Brionvega and Siemens.

Sergio Rodrigues (1927-2014) was a Brazilian architect and designer who is considered the "father of Brazilian furniture design". He studied architecture in Rio, founded his company Oca in 1955 and defined a new design identity - with furniture made from local woods such as jacaranda or ipe, combined with leather and clear shapes. His best-known work is the Mole Chair (1957), celebrated worldwide and on display at the MoMA. Other well-known designs include chairs such as Lucio, Bloch and Stella, as well as sofas and tables that combine Brazilian joie de vivre with elegant modernity.

Valdimar Harðarson (*1951) is an Icelandic architect and designer. He became famous in the 1980s with the "Sóley" folding chair, designed for Kusch+Co. The chair combines Scandinavian simplicity with technical sophistication and is considered a minimalist design classic.

Verner Panton (1926-1998) was a Danish designer known for his futuristic designs and experimental shapes. He worked with plastic, bold colours and organic lines. His best-known work is the "Panton Chair" from 1960 - the first cantilever chair made of plastic in a single mould. Panton characterised the design of the 1960s and 70s with radical spatial concepts and luminous textiles.

Vico Magistretti (1920-2006) was an Italian architect and designer known for his clear, functional designs. He designed furniture, lights and buildings, often with a minimalist design language and technical elegance. His best-known pieces include the "Atollo" lamp, the "Carimate" chair and the "Maralunga" sofa. Magistretti worked with companies such as Cassina, Artemide and DePadova.

Willy Guhl (1915-2004) was a Swiss industrial designer and interior architect known for his minimalist and durable designs. He became famous for the "Loop Chair" from 1954 made of Eternit - one of the first cantilever chairs made of fibre cement. Guhl favoured industrial materials and functional design early on. He taught at the Zurich School of Arts and Crafts for many years and had a lasting influence on Swiss design.