Michele De Lucchi

De Lucchi was born in 1951 in Ferrara and graduated in architecture from Florence. During the period of radical and experimental architecture he was a prominent figure in movements such as Cavart, Studio Alchimia and Memphis. De Lucchi has designed lamps and furniture for well-known Italian and European companies, such as Artemide, Olivetti, Alias, Unifor, Hermès and Alessi. For Olivetti he was Director of Design from 1988 to 2002 and developed experimental projects for Compaq Computers, Philips, Siemens and Vitra. During this period, he developed a number of theories on the evolution of workplaces. He has designed and restored buildings in Japan for NTT, in Germany for Deutsche Bank, in Switzerland for Novartis, and in Italy for Enel, Olivetti, Piaggio, Poste Italiane and Telecom Italia. In 1999 he was appointed to renovate a number of ENEL (the Italian Electricity Company) power plants. For Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Bundesbahn, ENEL, Poste Italine, Telecom Italia, Hera, Intesa Sanpaolo and other Italian and foreign banks he collaborated on the development of corporate image, introducing technical and aesthetic innovation into the workplace. He has been involved with numerous art and design exhibitions, creating building plans for museums including the Triennale di Milano, Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome, Neues Museum in Berlin, Fondazione Cini in Venice, Gallerie d’Italia - Piazza Scala, Pietà Rondanini museum and Casa Manzoni in Milan. He has also developed a number of architectural projects for private and public client in Georgia, such as the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Bridge of Peace in Tbilisi. More recently he has undertaken a number of projects for the city of Milan including the pavilions for Expo 2015 (Padiglione Zero, Expo Center, Intesa Sanpaolo), the UniCredit Pavilion in Piazza Gae Aulenti and Aquae Pavilion in Venice with Giovanni Caprioglio and Filippo Caprioglio. His professional work has always run in tandem with a personal exploration of design, technology and craftsmanship. Since 2004 he has sculptured small wooden houses using a chain saw to create the essence of the architectural style. In 2003 the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris acquired a considerable number of his works. Selections of his products are exhibited at various design museums in Europe, United States and Japan. In 2000 he was appointed Officer of Italian Republic by President Ciampi, for services to design and architecture. In 2001 he was nominated Professor at the Design and Art Faculty, University of Venice. In 2006 he received an Honorary Doctorate from Kingston University, for his contribution to “living quality”. In 2008 he was nominated Professor at the Design Faculty of the Politecnico of Milan and Member of the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca in Rome. == Industrial design ==