Architect, urban planner, and furniture designer Franco Albini died on 1 November 1977 in Milan. Trained at the Polytechnic University in Milan where he received a degree in architecture in 1929, Albini was associated with Rationalism and known for clear, simple designs on both large and small scale. He worked in the Ponti and Lancia design studios before setting up his own in 1931 as well as for Casabella magazine. After WWII, Albini undertook numerous projects related to Italy’s reconstruction, especially low and middle-income housing. He collaborated with various furniture design firms, including Cassina and Poggi. His best known buildings are in Milan and Genoa. Whether home furnishings, museum design, chairs, or subway stations, Albini’s designs share a “logical consistency” that “represents a keystone” of Italian modernism.
Canapo rocking chair, 1945
Armchair, 1952; wood, fabric, and metal, Collection SFMOMA, Gift of Michael and Gabrielle Boyd
Spiral staircase, Palazzo Rosso, Genoa
Fiorenza Armchair, 1939