A master of contemporary design, Michele De Lucchi was born in Ferrara in 1951 and graduated in architecture at the University of Florence. He was part of the radical movements such as Cavart, Alchymia and Memphis, has been head of design for Olivetti and has developed projects for Compaq, Philips, Siemens and Vitra.
He designed buildings in Japan, Germany, Switzerland and Italy for Enel, Olivetti, Piaggio, Poste Italiane and Telecom Italia. HE also worked for museums such as Triennale di Milano, Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome, Neues Museum in Berlin and the Italian galleries in Piazza della Scala in Milan.
Many of his works are kept in the most important museums in Europe, the US and Japan. The Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris has acquired most of them.
PRODUZIONE PRIVATA
In 1990 De Lucchi created Produzione Privata, a small company designing products aimed at retail with selected artisans. The projects are independent and originate from the great skills of the artisans and the designer’s philosophy. These objects tell of literature, art and nature — lamps, vases, chairs and more have a maximum freedom of expression.
The company consists of seven workshops, each dedicated to a material or a design concept: glass, wood, metal, marble, ceramic and porcelain, ready-made and small machines. In these workshops you breathe novelty and transformation, each material is processed, interpreted and developed following the traditional manual techniques but also with new and innovative technologies.
MICHELE DE LUCCHI’S PHILOSOPHY
Experimentation. This is what Michele di Lucchi wants to do. Especially through his Produzione Privata, he tries to always bring something innovative and modern, creating unexpected objects. Great talent and imagination are needed obviousl, but the need to be combined with the right materials and the right craft techniques.
MICHELE DE LUCCHI AND PULCINA
Michele De Lucchi designed Pulcina for Alessi, a revolutionary mocha combining Illy Coffee’s technology and Alessi’s experience. Thanks to its shape, Pulcina stops brewing coffee automatically at the right moment, without creating the annoying burnt and bitter aftertaste that often occurs. This enhances the flavor, resulting in only the best coffee. Even the nozzle with V shape, reminiscent of the beak of a chick, is perfectly cut to facilitate the spilling. A mocha that is visually traditional but that hides a lot of innovation in it. Just try it to believe.
MICHELE DE LUCCHI AND TOLOMEO
Tolomeo was born in 1987 as a table lamp, designed by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina. It became a best seller for the Italian company Artemide and awarded with the Golden Compass. An icon of absolute design for its lightness and purity of lines, it is inspired by the past spring bulbs reinterpreting the lines. Its shape has become an innovative object of great design and, even today, much loved. It is by far the most recognized designs by Artemide and one of their best-selling pieces.
