Gianfranco Frattini

Gianfranco Frattini (Padova 1926 ― Milan 2004) studied Architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, mentored by Portaluppi and Ponti, who invited him to collaborate in his studio while he was still a student. A pragmatic industrial designer, Frattini embodied the typically Italian approach to design as a total project. This book recounts his professional and personal journey, following his evolution through the analysis of his works.

They consistently reflect a sense of moderation and a deliberate distance from prevailing trends, which had only minimal influence on his design projects. Frattini’s experimentation with materials and forms was so wide reaching that it could define the process of design in its most tangible meaning.

The exhibition Gianfranco Frattini: ieri, oggi, domani, held in 2023 in an extraordinary setting, Palazzo Arese Borromeo in Cesano Maderno (near Milan), was an opportunity to further explore the legacy of this understated master of Italian design. The furniture and items displayed and photographed in the frescoed rooms are described in detail in the second part of the book with their corresponding product sheets and the descriptions of four selected interiors projects.

Text in English and Italian.