Museo Achille Castiglioni
Museum-home of famous designer
Museo Achille Castiglioni
Piazza Castello, 27 20121 Milano
Phone:
+39 02 805 3606
www.achillecastiglioni.it
Achille Castiglioni laid the foundations for Italian design, which went on to conquer the world. He designed hundreds of objects, from light switches to wrist watches. Among his "inventions" were the bicycle-inspired Sella chair and the rotating shelf unit. Castiglioni was a designer, an architect, a teacher, a mesmerizing storyteller, and an infectiously happy person. "I laugh all the time," he once said.
His students eagerly looked forward to every lecture, not knowing what their professor would pull out of his briefcase today. His home and studio are a fitting tribute to his legacy and a must-see for industrial design geeks. The sheer number of details, artifacts, and books is overwhelming at first. But spend time going from room to room, and you'll eventually surrender to Castiglioni's delightful, unifying aesthetic.
FYI: Visitors to Studio Museum Castiglioni are required to take an hour-long guided tour (led by Castiglioni's widow, Irma, and their daughter, Giovanna), held Tuesday through Friday at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 12 p.m. Additional Thursday tours take place at 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 8:30 p.m.
