“We should think of the workspace as a gymnasium for the mind, conceiving it as a place where relationships generate new ideas and possibilities. The office of the future should be visualized with the focus on lifestyles unfettered by convention, evolving spaces that perpetuate an endless stream of new ideas”, Michele De Lucchi. This is the guiding principle by which Michele De Lucchi has conceived and created his designs over the last three decades.

His professional career goes hand in hand with a personal exploration of new possibilities of design and technology. In 1990 he established the Produzione Privata, a miniature design company targeting the small-scale artisan and technician talent and craftsmanship. He is the brains behind many iconic products of all walks of life, ranging from furniture to lamps and for all the reputable companies including; Artemide, Hermes, Alessi, Olivetti, Unifor and Alias.

Early Life And Career Of Michele De Lucchi

Michele De Lucchi was born in 1951 in Farrara, Italy and went to graduate college in Florence where he attained an Architecture degree. He took part in the Cavart, Memphis and Alchimia movements during the radical and experimental architecture period. Later in 1988, he joined Olivetti as the director of design, a position he occupied until 2002. In those 14 years, he developed prototypes for Compaq Computers, Siemens, Philips and Vitra. He also accomplished appreciable studies that came up with different personal theories of the workplace evolution.

Achievements

Michele De Lucchi’s creations are scattered all over the world leaving his creative fingerprints on buildings in; Japan e.g. the NTT building, Germany with the Deutsche Bank, Italy for Piaggio and Switzerland for Norvatis among others. His influence is as well felt in the revolutionized corporate image of Italian and multinational banks where he implemented his aesthetic and technical evolution of the working spaces.

We can’t overlook his enormous love for museums and his consequent contribution in exhibitions in organizing as well as planning the buildings to house them e.g. The Triennale di Milano, Neus Museum in Berlin, Gallerie d’Italia-Piazza Scala, Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome and the Pieta Rondanini museum in Milan.

Latest Honors

In 2000 President Ciampi appointed Michele De Lucchi Officer of Italian Republic in recognition of his services in design and architecture.

In 2001 the University of Venice nominated him as Professor at the Design and Art Faculty.

In 2006 he was awarded the Honorary Doctorate for his contribution to “living quality” by Kingston University.

Conclusion

Michele De Lucchi is one of the most accomplished and talented designers of this era. Both as an architect and designer, he has revolutionized the way we interact with space through the introduction of the concept of evolution. He has his name to many phenomenal products, a good number of which have found their way in to museums in Europe, United States and Japan.

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