Overview

To study Gio Ponti’s prolific body of work is to appreciate the clear, unifying vision behind a complex creative universe. A synthesis of the arts, his creations unfold intuitively with the Italian grandeur and studied lightness that defined his iconic style. Ponti’s rare ability to move seamlessly between scales allowed him to approach the design of a teaspoon with the same conviction as that of an entire city. He was as much an architect and designer as he was a publisher, poet, and man. A treasure in its own regard, his legacy endures as a landmark of Italy’s mid-century Renaissance and the modernist ideals it sought to realize. Compact yet comprehensive, this volume traces the evolution of Ponti’s oeuvre over six decades, presenting more than sixty projects reproduced in high resolution—each framed by the context in which it was conceived. Like windows onto his elusive life, unpublished materials and candid imagery reveal new dialogues between his celebrated masterpieces and lesser-known works. The book features writings by Lisa Licitra Ponti and an extensive biographical essay by Stefano Casciani. Conceived in close collaboration with Ponti’s grandson, Salvatore Licitra, founder of the Gio Ponti Archives, it offers an intimate and authentic perspective on the architect’s life and work. Embodying Ponti’s philosophy of modernity, the book presents architecture as a performing object—a self-illuminating stage for his humanistic art de vivre and boundless creativity.

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9783754401118

Table of Contents

Reviews

“The most resistant element is not wood, is not stone, is not steel, is not glass. The most resistant element in building is art. Let’s make something very beautiful.” * Gio Ponti *

Author Information

Widely known as a poet and artist, Lisa Licitra Ponti (1922–2019) flanked her father Gio Ponti at Domus, becoming Managing Editor until 1979, while also contributing to Stile. In 1990, she edited the important monograph: Gio Ponti. The Complete Work, 1923–1978. Photographer, artist, and curator Salvatore Licitra created the “Gio Ponti Archives” in the studio of his grandfather Gio Ponti in 1996. Notable curated exhibitions are Gio Ponti Archi-Designer at the Museè des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, in 2018, and Gio Ponti: Loving Architecture at the MAXXI in Rome, in 2019. Stefano Casciani is an Italian writer and designer. The innovative inspiration of his own work has been recognized with awards such as the Compasso d’Oro 2001. Managing Editor of Domus from 2000 to 2011, he has been Editor and Publisher of disegno magazine since 2012.

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