Alessandro Mendini was born in Milan in 1931. Through his work as an architect, designer, journalist, theorist and publisher, Mendini helped establish the Italian design sensibility on a global scale with a particular focus on neo-modern, avant-garde design as well as the crossover between art, design and architecture.
Mendini’s influential work spanned the arenas of graphics, furniture, interiors, architecture, stage design, writing and painting. He graduated from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1959, and he began his career at the studio of artist-designer Marcello Nizzoli. He went on to become the publisher of the popular magazines Casabella (1970–76), Modo and Domus (each 1979–85).
In 1979, Mendini joined Ettore Sottsass and Michele de Lucchi as a partner at Studio Alchimia, a harbinger of the Memphis Group before he cofounded Domus Academy in 1982. In 1989, he and his brother Francesco established their architectural practice, Atelier Mendini, in Milan, where he worked until his death in February 2019. In recognition of his outstanding body of work, Mendini was awarded the Compasso d’Oro twice, in 1979 and 1981. He was also honored by the Architectural League of New York, made Chevalier des Arts et Lettres in France, and, in 2014, he was awarded the European Prize for Architecture.
Mendini’s work is included in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, among others.
Find vintage Alessandro Mendini chairs, vases, table lamps and other furniture and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
(Biography provided by STUDIO CADMIUM)
Italian Midcentury Side Table
By Fontana Arte
Located in Weesp, NL
Stylish midcentury Italian side table in the style of Fontana Arte. This rare beauty is in great vintage condition but the chrome does have some wear on it as can be seen in the imag...
Glass
Orio Side Table by Pierluigi Cerri for Fontana Arte
By Fontana Arte
Located in Weesp, NL
Orio Side Table for Fontana Arte – A Timeless Postmodern Masterpiece Step into the refined world of 1980s Italian design with this Orio side table, a rare and elegant creation for F...
Iron
Lassù Iconic 1983 Bronze Sculpture by Alessandro Mendini
By Alessandro Mendini
Located in Weesp, NL
Own a Masterpiece: Alessandro Mendini’s Original 1983 Lassù Step into the world of postmodern artistry with Alessandro Mendini’s Lassù, a rare and iconic bronze sculpture from his o...
Bronze
Nutwood and Glass Dining Table La Rotonda by Mario Bellini for Cassina
By Mario Bellini
Located in Weesp, NL
Stunning solid Nutwood and glass round dining table La Rotanda designed by Mario Bellini in 1977 for the renown Italian furniture manufacturer...
Glass, Nutwood
Mid Century 1958 Bruxelles World Expo Souvenir Side Table
By Bois Manu
Located in Weesp, NL
Rare 1958 Brussels World Expo souvenir. This palette shaped side table was created as a souvenir for the 1958 World Expo. Once bought in the souvenir shop, ...
Wood, Beech
Max Ingrand Fontana Arte Coffee Table
By Max Ingrand
Located in Weesp, NL
Fontana Arte Mid-Century Modern coffee table by Max Ingrand. Stylish and sophisticated tainted beech coffee table designed by Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte in the 1960s. This version ...
Glass
Papilio 3 Trier Glass Side Table by Alessandro Mendini for Zanotta 1990's Italy
Located in Lisboa, PT
A striking example of 1990s Italian postmodern design, this "Papilio" three-tier side table was designed by Alessandro Mendini for Zanotta. Named after the Latin word for butterfly, ...
Metal
Acilio Side Table by Alessandro Mendini for Zanotta, 1985
By Zanotta, Alessandro Mendini
Located in Asti, Piemonte
Alessandro Mendini. Zabro / Nuova Alchimia, Side Table, model Acilio. Side table, model Acilio. Designed in 1985. Lacquered wood, lacquered and chrome-plated metal. The plates can be...
Metal
Small table mod. 6500 by Alessandro Mendini for Zanotta
By Zanotta, Alessandro Mendini
Located in Ravenna, IT
Small table designed in 1986 by Alessandro Mendini for Zanotta. The tabletop features a daisy design, made entirely of mosaic. The central leg, which supports the top, reaches the gr...
Aluminum, Steel
Alessandro Mendini Table Model Freccia for Gruppo Alchimia, Italy
By Gruppo Alchimia, Alessandro Mendini
Located in Asti, Piemonte
Freccia table in lacquered wood and silkscreened metal base designed by Alessandro Mendini for Gruppo Alchimia, about 2000. Exhibited at the show Alchimismo, Frigoriferi Milanesi, Mi...
Metal
Ghidini 1961 Le Ninfee Right Side Table in Brass by Alessandro Mendini
By Ghidini 1961, Alessandro Mendini
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
As if they were large and flat lilies leaves that run, approach, float and mate while flowing on the water surface of a pond. So these small Ninfee tables float and can Stand alone, ...
Brass
Ghidini 1961 Le Ninfee Middle Side Table in Brass by Alessandro Mendini
By Alessandro Mendini, Ghidini 1961
Located in Villa Carcina, IT
As if they were large and flat lilies leaves that run, approach, float and mate while flowing on the water surface of a pond. So these small Ninfee tables float and can stand alone, ...
Brass
Alessandro Mendini, Michael Graves, Ettore Sottsass and other design luminaries contributed to this unusual collection of porcelain wares representing a time capsule of late-20th-century decorative art.
Aided by photos taken of the maestro in his Milan studio, we honor the influential design talent who died last month at 87.
