Carlo Di Carli
“A chair, an armchair or a table must be elements in which one can feel an individual presence…their design should respond to the thinking and the actions of the people who live in that environment.” -Carlo di Carli
Carlo di Carli, a modernist designer, architect and scholar, made a profound impact on design in the 20th Century. As a professor he left a fundamental mark of theoretical reflections and ethics of behavior on an entire generation of architects. He was born and raised in Milan and later graduated from Politecnico di Milano in 1934. Later he worked at the studio of Gio Ponti subsequently opening a studio with Renato Angeli. His years with Ponti shaped young Carlo De Carli’s language and approach to design. He had a fine sense for modern materials, functional design and industry with a willingness to experiment and invent.
Carlo De Carli graduated in architecture from the Politecnico di Milan in 1934. Throughout his career, he was strongly connected to this university, being Dean of the Faculty of Architecture from 1965 to 1968 and teaching there until 1986. Carli’s philosophy focused on the integration of space, material and the human body and gesture. With this ideology, he effectively engaged a dialog between design, universities and the craftsmanship world.
Gio Ponti and His son Guili
After working with Gio Ponti, he later went on to set up a studio on his own, where his design quickly became widely recognized and manufactured by some of the most important and innovative Italian design companies.
Carlo de Carli made most of his architectural and design work between World War II and the early 70s. Among his most significant architectural projects are the residences and office building at Via dei Giardini 7 in Milan, which included the tiny Sant’Erasmo Theatre, the Opera Don Calabria at Cimiano, and the Church of Sant’Ildefonso in Milan.
Carlo de Carli was a prolific furniture designer, especially of chairs, desks, and tables, and worked with the leading craft and industrial design companies of the time, such as Cassina, Singer & Sons, Osvaldo Bolsani’s manufacturing company Tecno and Gubi. Here are some of our favorite pieces by Carlo di Carli.
Information and Images Sourced From:
http://www.archivinmostra.polimi.it/it/55/vita-da-studente-centanni-fa-storie-immagini-e-documenti
https://www.gubi.com/carlo-de-carli https://library.calvin.edu/hda/node/1607 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carlo_De_Carli_-_Casa_in_via_dei_Giardini_7,_Milano,_1947-49.jpg https://www.ordinearchitetti.mi.it/it/mappe/itinerari/edificio/409/36-carlo-de-carli-a-milano/galleria https://blog.urbanfile.org/2020/03/22/milano-portello-santildefonso-brutalismo-allo-stato-puro/
https://www.auction.fr/_en/lot/carlo-di-carli-1910-1971-table-bois-et-verre-date-de-creation-vers-1950-9517305 https://www.vntg.com/90336/set-of-chairs-by-carlo-de-carli-1950s/ https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-6030802/?intObjectID=6030802