La Ruspa Table Lamp attributed to Gae Aulenti for Martinelli Luce, 1960s

Italian architect-designer Gaetana “Gae” Aulenti (1927-2012) was born in the town of Palazzolo dello Stella, near Trieste. Defying her parents’ wishes, she studied architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, graduating in 1954—one of only two women in a class of 20.

From 1955 to 1965, Aulenti was a contributor and Art Director for architectural magazine Casabella. During this time, she became an active proponent of the Neo Liberty movement and championed the revival of traditions motifs and individual expression, which had been discouraged during the years dominated by modernism. Through her wide-ranging work—covering industrial and exhibition design, furniture, graphics, stage design, lighting, and interior design—she became a leading voice of postmodernism as the 20th century progressed. Notably, her work was featured in MoMA’s landmark 1972 exhibition, Italy: The New Domestic Landscape, which also spotlighted the work of pioneering talents like Mario Bellini, Joe Colombo, Ettore Sottsass, and Superstudio, to name a few.

Aulenti’s architectural career is remarkable for the fact that she salvaged and repurposed a substantial number of buildings that were neglected or even set for demolition. In 1980, she was offered the difficult challenge of reinventing the old Beaux-Arts-style Gare d’Orsay railway station in Paris, transforming it into the famous Musée d‘Orsay. In this project, she chose to bridge the architectural gap between the Louvre and the Pompidou Centre by creating a cavernous and expansive interior for the museum. When the Musée d‘Orsay opened in 1986, it was deemed too radical by many critics. Aulenti, however, was quick to point out the thousands of visitors who lined up each day to visit.

Soon after, Aulenti took on more large-scale museum re-designs, including the Musée National d’Art Moderne at the Centre Pompidou (1982-85); Palazzo Grassi in Venice (1985-86); and the new Asian Art Museum in San Francisco (1996-2003). Other architectural achievements include the new entrance for Santa Maria Novella Train Station in Florence (1990); Palazzo Italia at EXPO in Seville (1992); the restoration of the Scuderie Papali at the Quirinale in Rome (1999); the renovation of Piazzale Cadorna in Milan (2000); the Museo and Dante stations on underground line 1, alongside the redesign of Piazza Cavour and Piazza Dante in Naples (1999-2002); the Catalan Museum of Art in Barcelona (1985-2004); the restoration of the Palavela in Turin for the Winter Olympic Games in 2006; the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Tokyo (2006); and the restoration of Palazzo Branciforte in Palermo (2011).

In the areas of furniture, branding, and interior design, Aulenti was regularly commissioned by major international companies, such as Artemide, Banca Commerciale Itliana, Fiat, Ideal Standard, Knoll International, Louis Vuitton, Martinelli Luce , Olivetti , and Pirelli , among others. Iconic designs by Aulenti include the Pileino Lamp for Artemide (1972); the Giova Lamp (1964), Tavolo Con Ruote Table (1980), and Tour Table (1993) for Fontana Arte; the Sgarsul Rocking Chair (1962) and Locus Solus Chair (1963) for Poltranova ; and April Folding Chair (1964), and Sanmarco Table (1984) for Zanotta. Many of her designs remain in production today.

Aulenti won many awards over the course of her career, including the Ubi Prize for Stage Design in 1980; the Architecture Medal from the Academie d'Architecture, Paris in 1983; the Josef Hoffmann Prize from the Hochschule fur Angewandte Kunst, Vienna in 1984; France’s Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur in 1987; the Praemium Imperiale for Architecture in 1991; and the title of “Knight Grand Cross” of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic in 1995.

Aulenti passed away in 2012 at the age of 85. She remains a significant architectural influence who made incredible strides for women in her profession. 

*Images courtesy of Archivo Gae Aulenti, Artemide, Martinelli Luce, Zanotta

Martinelli Luce has contributed significantly to Italian design, and was a hugely prominent lighting producer in the second half of the 20th century; creating innovative and award-winning lighting throughout its colorful history, collaborating with some of the biggest names in Italian design. Founded in 1950 by designer Elio Martinelli (1921-2004) in Lucca, the company has since gone on to produce numerous lighting designs for domestic and commercial use.

Exposed to the lighting industry from an early age, Martinelli joined his family's business which was originally established sometime in the 1930s. In 1950, wishing to develop and produce his own lighting fixtures, Martinelli established Martinelli Luce and focused on interior design and lights for shops, restaurants, hotels, and the like. His business grew quickly, eventually becoming a household name and reference point Italian lighting design. In 1966, Martinelli Luce was invited by designer Gio Ponti to participate in the first edition of the international design exhibition, Eurodomus, held in Turin. Martinelli Luce exhibited again in 1968, 1970, and 1972; as well as at the 14th and 15th Milan Triennial in 1968 and 1973. 

Throughout his career, Martinelli embraced new materials (such as methacrylate plastic), which he used to create functional, yet highly innovative lighting fixtures. Martinelli’s work was representative of the midcentury modernist Italian aesthetic, characterized by an organic geometry that was both rationalist and expressive. Standout pieces include, among others, the space-age table lamps Bolla (1960), Globo (1962), Serpente (1965), Stivale (1967), Cobra (1968), and Foglia (1969), Millepiedi (1972), Elmetto (1976), Dobermann (1980), and the Nuvole Vagabonde (1992-9).

Since its inception, Martinelli Luce has collaborated with many talented and renowned designers including Gae Aulenti, , Michel Bouquillon, Marco De Santi – Studio Natural, Angelo Micheli, Luc Ramael,  Karim Rashid, Marc Sadler, Brian Sironi, Studio 4P1B, Studio Lucchi & Biserni, Studio Orlandini, Massimo and Lella Vignelli, and many others. Notable designs include Aulenti ‘s Pipistrello (1965), Ruspa (1968) table lamps; and Sergio Asti’s Profiterolle (1968) and Scafandro (1972) table lamps.

Over the years Martinelli Luce has received several awards, including multiple iF Product Design awards, Compasso D’oro in 2011, and the ADI Design Index Award in 2011 and 2015. Exemplary designs from Martinelli Luce can be found in permanent collections of major museums include the Montreal Decorative Arts Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the Museum of Art in Philadelphia.

Martinelli passed away in 2004, but the company continues to operate today under the guidance of Martinelli’s daughter, art director and designer Emiliana. The company offers a wide range of energy efficient lighting systems designed for offices, shops, cinemas, hotels, museums, and commercial, and outdoor areas.