Gio Ponti

Overview

Such was the determinism of Gio Ponti (1891-1979) to perfect both functionality and durability in his 1957 Superleggera chair design, he had each prototype thrown from a fourth-floor window, settling only for the eventual design which landed intact.

Ponti pulled off a seemingly impossible juggling act: architect, industrial and furniture designer, even dipping into costume and set design, in a career that spanned six decades. His most famous architectural designs include the Mathematics Department at the University of Rome and the Pirelli Tower in his home city of Milan.

 

Ponti’s aim in all his commissions was a simple one: marrying simplistic form and functionality and creating a thing of beauty – big or small. His chairs are, for instance, lightweight and uncomplicated shapes but made with durable woods or metals in a timeless style; as lasting a legacy as any of his great buildings. 

Works
  • Gio Ponti, Pair of 'Superleggera' Dining Chairs
    Gio Ponti
    Pair of 'Superleggera' Dining Chairs
    Made in Italy
    c.1950
    Ash wood and hand knotted straw
    H84 x W40 x D45 cm
    Seat Height 40cm
    £ 4,000.00
  • Gio Ponti, Pair of fireside chairs
    Gio Ponti
    Pair of fireside chairs
    For Casa & Giardino
    Ash and woven hemp rope
    H103 x W39 x D49 cm
    £ 5,200.00
  • Gio Ponti, Full length mirror
    Gio Ponti
    Full length mirror
    Attributed to designer
    c.1960s
    Brass
    H171 x W105 cm
    Sold
  • Gio Ponti, Armchair
    Gio Ponti
    Armchair
    For Bonacina
    c.1950s
    Bamboo and cane with an upholstered cushion in Anni Albers Collection Black mountain Honey Weave by Christopher Farr Cloth
    H124 x W87 x D83 cm
    £ 1,800.00
  • Gio Ponti, Chair for the Montecatini office building
    Gio Ponti
    Chair for the Montecatini office building
    c.1938
    Die-cast aluminium
    Manufacturer: Parma Antonio & Figli, Italy
    H86 x W43 x D40 cm
    £ 2,800.00