Gae Aulenti

She graduated in 1953 from the Politecnico di Milano and began her professional career in Milan in 1956, focusing on architectural design, interior and industrial design, as well as theatre scenography. In 1979, she was appointed artistic director of FontanaArte, a company for which she also designed timeless lamps and furnishings still featured in its catalogue. Notable pieces include the Giova lamp (1964), the Table with Wheels (1980), and the Tour table (1993).

Together with Piero Castiglioni, she designed the Parola lamp collection (1980), the Diamante wall lamps (1986), the Calle lamps (1988), and the Diastema spotlight (1994). Her architectural work is both vast and prestigious. Highlights include the renovation and new installations for the Musée d’Orsay (1980–86) and the Musée National d’Art Moderne at the Centre Pompidou (1982–85); the renovation of Palazzo Grassi in Venice (1985–86); the new entrance to Santa Maria Novella station in Florence (1990); the Palazzo Italia at EXPO ’92 in Seville; the refurbishment of the former Papal Stables at the Quirinale in Rome (1999); the redevelopment of Piazzale Cadorna in Milan (2000); the “Museo” and “Dante” stations on Naples Metro Line 1 and the redesign of Piazza Cavour and Piazza Dante (1999–2002); the new Asian Art Museum in San Francisco (1996–2003); the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya in Barcelona (1985–2004); the renovation of the Palavela in Turin for the 2006 Winter Olympics; the Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo (2006); and the restoration and transformation of Palazzo Branciforte in Palermo into a museum hub (2011).

She has received numerous awards and honors, including: Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (Paris), Honorary Member of the American Institute of Architects – Hon. FAIA; Praemium Imperiale for Architecture (Tokyo), Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Rome), and an honorary degree in Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design (Providence, USA).