Italian architect, designer and photographer Carlo Mollino’s creative talent and brilliant mind allowed him to mix in a completely original way natural shapes and artistic elements taken from Baroque, Rococo, Art Nouveau and Surrealism.
image source: https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Mollino#/media/File:Mollino_Self_Portrait.jpg
About his life
Born in Turin, Italy, in 1905, mid-century modern designer, architect, photographer, and writer Carlo Mollino was the son of prominent civil engineer Eugenio Mollino (1873–1953). After graduating in 1931, Mollino began working in his father’s practice and on independent projects. Notable designs from this period include the headquarters for the Società Ippica Torinese (1937–39; destroyed in 1960) in Turin and the headquarters of Confederazione degli Agricoltori (1933–34) in Cuneo.
What are Molino’s style main features ?
His furniture clearly showcases his unique style: his pieces are free from the influence of the time’s mainstream style, which typically reflected the geometry and rationalisms of the Bauhaus. Perhaps the secret is that Mollino had them made by small, selected craftsmen, so that he could make last-minute changes if necessary.
image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carlo_mollino,_scrivania_cavour,_progetto_del_1949,_prodotto_nel_2003.JPG
images source: https://www.archiproducts.com/en/products/zanotta/crystal-or-marble-table-reale-2320_17607
images source: https://www.archiproducts.com/en/products/zanotta/crystal-coffee-table-for-living-room-arabesco-cm_16868
These chairs, with their “anthropomorphous” lines and “organicist” inspiration, are a tangible proof of the high level of harmony the designer reached between artisan skills and experimentation with new materials and techniques (among other things, Mollino patented a process for cold molding plywood).
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image source: https://www.archiproducts.com/en/products/zanotta/maple-chair-fenis-cm_335075
Apartments and interiors
- Casa Miller, Turin (1936)
- Casa Devalle, Turin (1939-40)
- Casa Minola, Turin (1944-46)
- Casa Orengo, Turin (1949)
- Casa Rivetti, Turin (1949)
- Casa Mollino, Turin (1960-1968)
- Casa Pistoi, Turin (1968)
images source:https://www.carlomollino.org/interiors
info source: https://www.pamono.com/designers/carlo-mollino
info source: http://www.italianways.com/carlo-mollino-chair-genius/
info source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlo_Mollino#Furniture
