Centenary of Achille Castiglioni Celebrated in Milan with Exhibitions and Events

exhibition · 2026-05-04

Achille Castiglioni, born in Milan on February 16, 1918, is being celebrated on the centenary of his birth with a series of exhibitions and events in Milan. The architect and designer graduated from Politecnico di Milano in 1944 during World War II, humorously recalling his 'war degree' due to bombings. Over 40 years, he produced 190 architectural projects, 290 industrial designs, and 484 installations. His father Giannino was a sculptor; brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo shared an architecture studio. Castiglioni worked with Pier Giacomo from 1945 to 1968, then alone until 2002. Key projects include the post-war reconstruction of Palazzo della Permanente (1952-1953) and exhibition designs for Fiera Milano and Triennale. He co-founded ADI in 1956 and won nine Compasso d'Oro awards, including for Luminator (1955), Pitagora (1962), Spinamatic (1964), and Dry (1984). His works are held at MoMA, V&A, and other museums. The celebration includes the exhibition '100x100 Achille' (Feb 16-Apr 30) at his studio, where 100 designers bring anonymous objects; 'Dimensione Domestica, Atto III, Tokyo' (May 25-Dec 21) curated by Beppe Finessi; and a major show at Triennale Milano (Sep 13, 2018-Jan 13, 2019) curated by Patricia Urquiola. The Fondazione Achille Castiglioni, established in 2011, manages his archive and studio museum, which had over 40,000 visitors by 2014.

Key facts

Achille Castiglioni was born in Milan on February 16, 1918.
He graduated in architecture from Politecnico di Milano in 1944.
Over 40 years, he created 190 architectural projects, 290 industrial designs, and 484 installations.
He co-founded ADI (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale) in 1956.
He won nine Compasso d'Oro awards, including for Luminator (1955), Pitagora (1962), Spinamatic (1964), and Dry (1984).
His works are in MoMA, V&A, and other international museums.
The exhibition '100x100 Achille' runs from February 16 to April 30, 2018, at his studio.
A major exhibition curated by Patricia Urquiola will be held at Triennale Milano from September 13, 2018 to January 13, 2019.
The Fondazione Achille Castiglioni was established on December 14, 2011.
The studio museum had over 40,000 visitors by 2014.

Entities

Artists

Achille Castiglioni
Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Livio Castiglioni
Giannino Castiglioni
Patricia Urquiola
Philippe Starck
Formafantasma
Max Kuwertz
Yanik Balzer
Naoto Fukasawa
Ron Gilad
Piero Lissoni
Giulio Iacchetti
Marcel Wanders
Beppe Finessi
Duilio Gregorini
Cesare Cassina
Dino Gavina
Buzzati
Ginevra Bria
Federica Sala
Giuliano Briganti
Ugo Lucio Borga
Rita Hayworth
Fred Astaire
Gene Kelly
William A. Seiter
Emanuela Martini

Institutions

Politecnico di Milano
ADI (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale)
Triennale di Milano
Fondazione Achille Castiglioni
Studio Museo Achille Castiglioni
MoMA (Museum of Modern Art)
Victoria and Albert Museum
Kunstgewerbe Museum Zürich
Staatliches Museum für Angewandte Kunst München
Museo del Design di Prato
Umeleckoprumyslove Museum Prague
Israel Museum Jerusalem
Denver Art Museum
Vitra Design Museum
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Hamburg
Museum für Angewandte Kunst Köln
Royal Society of Art London
Kartell
Gavina
Flos
Brionvega
Zanotta
Alessi
Ideal Standard
Driade
De Padova
Cassina
RAI
Montecatini
Agip-ENI
Palazzo della Permanente
Fiera Milano
Isisuf – Istituto Internazionale di Studi sul Futurismo
Artribune
MAX MUSEUM
Santa Maria della Scala
Biblioteca Giuliano Briganti
Polo del '900
Torino Film Festival
Università di Siena

Locations

Milan
Italy
Corso di Porta Nuova 52, Milan
Piazza Castello 27, Milan
Piazza Sant'Angelo, Milan
Duomo di Milano
New York
United States
London
United Kingdom
Zurich
Switzerland
Munich
Germany
Prato
Prague
Czech Republic
Jerusalem
Israel
Denver
Weil am Rhein
Hamburg
Cologne
Tokyo
Japan
Chiasso
Siena
Turin
Syria
Lebanon
Iraq
Atollo Bikini

Sources

Artribune — 2018-02-15
Artribune — 2018-10-08