Alessandro Mendini was born in Milan in 1931. Through his work as an architect, designer, journalist, theorist and publisher, Mendini helped establish the Italian design sensibility on a global scale with a particular focus on neo-modern, avant-garde design as well as the crossover between art, design and architecture.
Mendini’s influential work spanned the arenas of graphics, furniture, interiors, architecture, stage design, writing and painting. He graduated from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1959, and he began his career at the studio of artist-designer Marcello Nizzoli. He went on to become the publisher of the popular magazines Casabella (1970–76), Modo and Domus (each 1979–85).
In 1979, Mendini joined Ettore Sottsass and Michele de Lucchi as a partner at Studio Alchimia, a harbinger of the Memphis Group before he cofounded Domus Academy in 1982. In 1989, he and his brother Francesco established their architectural practice, Atelier Mendini, in Milan, where he worked until his death in February 2019. In recognition of his outstanding body of work, Mendini was awarded the Compasso d’Oro twice, in 1979 and 1981. He was also honored by the Architectural League of New York, made Chevalier des Arts et Lettres in France, and, in 2014, he was awarded the European Prize for Architecture.
Mendini’s work is included in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, among others.
Find vintage Alessandro Mendini chairs, vases, table lamps and other furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by STUDIO CADMIUM)
Wooden table with flower inlay, 1920s
By Produzione Privata
Located in Ravenna, IT
Antique round table made of polished cherry wood. The center of the top is enriched by the presence of a floral design, made with the use of different types of wood. The circular sup...
Wood
Trio table by Vico Magistretti for De Padova, 1997
Located in Ravenna, IT
The Trio table is part of a trio of small tables designed by Vico Magistretti and produced by DePadova starting in 1997. The base is formed by joining three aluminum tubes, curved in...
Steel
Openable wooden table made in Italy in the early 2000s
Located in Ravenna, IT
Square table made entirely of stained oak veneer, featuring an elegant and functional design thought to adapt naturally to different living contexts. Its characteristic feature is it...
Metal
Taliesin table designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and manufactured by Cassina in 1925
By Frank Lloyd Wright, Cassina
Located in Ravenna, IT
Table designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1925 and made of stained walnut wood. The product's imposing presence is also due to its base, structured on four rectangular legs connected t...
Wood
Small table mod. 6500 by Alessandro Mendini for Zanotta
By Zanotta, Alessandro Mendini
Located in Ravenna, IT
Small table designed in 1986 by Alessandro Mendini for Zanotta. The tabletop features a daisy design, made entirely of mosaic. The central leg, which supports the top, reaches the gr...
Aluminum, Steel
12/12 Dining Table by Pierre Charpin for Memphis/Post Design
By Memphis Milano, Pierre Charpin, Post Design
Located in Ravenna, IT
Table made by Pierre Charpin for Memphis/Post Design's "A Furniture Catalog" collection in 1970. Featuring a graphic line that follows the contour of the top and legs, the table appe...
Laminate, Wood
Neoclassical inlaid table Emilia Last Quarter 18th Century
By Non-Standard Furniture and Lighting
Located in Milano, IT
Neoclassical table made of square-section poplar, fully planed. Inlaid top with geometric score made from olive and carob borders, crossed to form four small inlaid rosettes; the res...
Chestnut, Maple, Olive, Poplar
Baroque-style table in carved walnut with side drawers, 1960
Located in Premariacco, IT
An elegant round table made of solid walnut, crafted in the Baroque style and featuring rich, harmonious lines that highlight its timeless charm. A piece of furniture with a strikin...
Nutwood
Classic by Carpanelli I Capitelli Extendible Table
By Carpanelli
Located in Desio, IT
This table has a solid wood structure with inlaid central rosette. When the table is closed, the top has an oval shape; when the half-moons are overturned, a large round top is obtai...
Wood
1950 Paolo Buffa Permanente Cantu Midcentury Italy Design Wood Dining Table
By Paolo Buffa, La Permanente Mobili Cantù
Located in Brescia, IT
Paolo buffa La Permanente Mobili Cantù Italy, 1950s Wood with brass details Gorgeus Circle top. Excellent condiction no crack and no restorations.
Brass
Rare Venetian Art Deco Dining Table, 1930 (Mirrored)
Located in Mariano Del Friuli, GO
A rare, if not unique, Venetian Art Deco table made of walnut burl with walnut inlays, dating from the height of the Italian Art Deco period. Perfect in proportions and size ( they f...
Mirror, Walnut
Art Deco Italian Inlaid Mahogany Table in the manner of Gio Ponti
By Gio Ponti
Located in London, GB
Fine quality mahogany dining table with inlaid detail and useful small drawer very similar to a table sold at Sothebys, designed by Gio Ponti.
Wood
Alessandro Mendini, Michael Graves, Ettore Sottsass and other design luminaries contributed to this unusual collection of porcelain wares representing a time capsule of late-20th-century decorative art.
Aided by photos taken of the maestro in his Milan studio, we honor the influential design talent who died last month at 87.
