Reserved
Michele De Lucchi
Michele De Lucchi was born in 1951 in Ferrara and graduated in architecture from the University of Florence. During the years of radical and experimental architecture, he was one of the leading figures in movements such as Cavart, Alchimia, and Memphis.
He has designed lamps and furniture for some of the most renowned Italian and European companies, including Artemide, Olivetti, Alias, Unifor, Hermès, and Alessi. From 1988 to 2002, he was Head of Design at Olivetti, where he developed experimental projects for Compaq Computers, Philips, Siemens, and Vitra, while also formulating various personal theories on the evolution of office spaces.
De Lucchi has designed and renovated buildings in Japan for NTT, in Germany for Deutsche Bank, in Switzerland for Novartis, and in Italy for Enel, Olivetti, Piaggio, Poste Italiane, and Telecom Italia. Since 1999, he has been responsible for the redevelopment of several Enel power plants. He has also collaborated on the evolution of corporate image for companies such as Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Bundesbahn, Enel, Poste Italiane, Telecom Italia, Hera, Intesa Sanpaolo, and Unicredit, introducing both technical and aesthetic innovations in workplace design.
He has curated numerous art and design exhibitions and has designed museum buildings, including projects for the Triennale di Milano, the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome, the Neues Museum in Berlin, the Cini Foundation in Venice, Gallerie d’Italia - Piazza Scala, the Museo della Pietà Rondanini, and Casa Manzoni in Milan. He has also completed numerous architectural projects for both private and public clients in Georgia, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Peace Bridge in Tbilisi. Recently, he has developed various projects in Milan, such as pavilions for Expo 2015 (Padiglione Zero, Expo Center, and the Intesa Sanpaolo Pavilion) and the Unicredit Pavilion in Piazza Gae Aulenti.
His professional work has always been accompanied by personal research on design, technology, and craftsmanship. In 1990, he founded Produzione Privata, a small enterprise where he designs products crafted using traditional artisanal techniques.
In 2003, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris acquired a significant number of his works, and a selection of his objects is exhibited in major museums across Europe, the United States, and Japan.
Since 2004, he has been sculpting small wooden "houses" using a chainsaw, in search of the essential nature of architectural form.
In 2000, he was awarded the title of Officer of the Italian Republic by President Ciampi for his contributions to design and architecture. In 2001, he was appointed Full Professor at the Faculty of Design and Arts at the IUAV University of Venice. In 2006, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Kingston University for his contributions to "quality of life." Since 2008, he has been a Full Professor at the Faculty of Design at the Politecnico di Milano and an Academician at the National Academy of San Luca in Rome.
"I have known Maurizio and Davide Riva for several years, and from our very first meeting, we established a connection that goes beyond a simple professional relationship. I am convinced that people can understand each other even through their sense of smell—that scent is a sense that connects, unites, and strengthens friendships."
