Gio Ponti

One of the most important names in 20th-century Italian modernism, architect and designer Gio Ponti (1891-1979) was influential in refreshing Italian design after WWII. During his six-decade career, he built more than 100 buildings in 14 countries across the globe and designed countless pieces of furniture and collectibles, from chairs and cabinets to lamps and ceramics. Ponti’s signature piece lightweight Superleggera chair, which first showcased in 1957, is still an icon today, along with his Cassina lounge chair, Distex armchair and Bilia lamp.