Gianfranco Frattini (19262004)

Gianfranco Frattini worked for his teacher and mentor Giò Ponti before opening his own professional practice in Milan. An architect and designer, he turned naturally to industrial design when unable to source appropriate lighting and furniture for his interiors. His collaboration with Cesare Cassina for his namesake company started in 1954, followed by collaborations with many other well-known manufacturers including Bernini, Arteluce, Acerbis, Fantoni, Artemide, Knoll, Lema and many others. In 1956 he co-founded the Associazione per il Disegno Industriale and throughout his career he practiced both industrial design and architecture, focusing mostly on interiors. A great connoisseur of wood craftsmanship, he forged a long and fruitful professional partnership with Pierluigi Ghianda, a master craftsman from Bovisio Masciago (Milan). Glassware designed by Frattini for Progetti is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and the famous Boalum lamp (made in collaboration with Livio Castiglioni and produced by Artemide) is in the collection of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum.