Andrea Branzi, Archizoom co-founder, dies at 85

Andrea Branzi, architect, designer, and co-founder of the radical collective Archizoom Associati, died on October 9 in Milan at age 85. Born in Florence in 1938, he studied architecture there and founded Archizoom with Gilberto Corretti, Paolo Deganello, Massimo Morozzi, Lucia Morozzi, and Dario Bartolini. The group's iconic Superonda sofa (1966), produced by Poltronova, used polyurethane and vinyl inspired by Claes Oldenburg. After Archizoom, Branzi joined Alchimia and Memphis, designing the Century chaise longue (1982) and Labrador salt cellar. He co-founded CDM studio in 1972 and won three Compasso d'Oro awards. In 1982 he founded Domus Academy, the first post-graduate design school. He was scientific curator of Triennale Milano's Design Museum and professor at Politecnico di Milano until 2009. His works are in Centre Pompidou, MoMA, Brooklyn Museum, V&A, and Vitra Design Museum. In 2008 he received an honorary degree from La Sapienza. His last exhibition, "L'architettura appartiene al teatro," opened recently at Antonia Jannone Disegni di Architettura. A tribute will be held October 11 at Triennale Milano, with a screening of "Andrea Branzi. Mostra in forma di prosa" on October 13.