June 14, 2023

Antonio Citterio presented the book ‘Antonio Citterio Design’ (2023, publisher: Silvana Editoriale) for the first time at the Salone d’Onore of Triennale Milano yesterday. ‘Antonio Citterio Design’ retraces the five-decade career of the architect and designer Antonio Citterio in the field of industrial design through the insights of leading figures from the world of art and design.

Divided into seven chapters, the book traces Citterio’s creations from the 1970s and ‘80s with the Baia sofa and the Diesis series, both designed with Paolo Nava, that led to a decades-long collaboration with B&B Italia, all the way to the years of partnering with Flexform, Arclinea, Vitra, Flos, Axor, and up until the most recent works with Cassina and Knoll.

The book features a foreword and an introduction by architect and designer Andrea Branzi and by art critic Francesco Bonami, and its authors include writers Stefano Casciani, Francesca Picchi, and former director of London’s Design Museum, Deyan Sudjic (also the book’s editor). The writing offers a comprehensive and detailed account of works that, in a 50-year career of more than 600 products in a wide range of fields, share a stylistic code that combines a discreet and elegant modernity with a meticulous attention to detail.

The most comprehensive publication on the work of Antonio Citterio to date, the volume features images of products, details, archive photos and sketches signed by the designer. The contents, intimate at times, narrate the events that led to the creation of products that have established themselves over time as icons of design.

“This book,” says Antonio Citterio, “has been an opportunity to retrace a career of more than 50 years. It’s been a journey through time and memory, where the heroes are not so much the products or the challenges I encountered, but rather the people with whom I faced those challenges. I am convinced that, if there is a common thread that tells the story of my work, it is the team and the idea of the relationships with people, from collaborators to the companies for which I have designed and continue to design.”

“Citterio is not only the most successful furniture designer of his generation but is responsible for new ways of using our homes and workplaces,” says Deyan Sudjic, the book’s editor. “The book documents the evolution of Citterio’s key designs, and explores the mix of technical expertise, aesthetic intuition, and constant curiosity about new ways of living that distinguishes his approach to design.”

The book, with graphic design by Juma, will be available in all major bookstores in Italy and abroad.