“The more I formalize a thing, the more I give it an independent life” Angelo Mangiarotti

Angelo Mangiarotti was born in Milan in 1921. He moved to the United States in 1948 after graduating in architecture from the Polytechnic University of Milan.

As a visiting professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, he befriended famous architects like Frank Lloyd Wright (1867–1959), Walter Gropius (1883–1969), Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886–1969), and Konrad Wachsmann (1901–1980), an experience that strongly influenced his work.

From 1963 to 1990 Mangiarotti taught in various illustrious design and architecture schools in Italy and abroad. In 1989 he founded Mangiarotti & Associates, based in Tokyo. From 1989 to 1992 he was the creative director of the Collevilca glassware company.

In addition to his many architectural ventures, Mangiarotti’s portfolio includes a wide range of creative designs. Sculptures and products like the Sky Cone (1987) and the Fratelli Brambilla Ashtray (1968) show how skilled he was at handling traditional materials like glass and marble in a modern way. His designs were produced by the biggest companies of the day including Artemide, Bernini, Cappellini, Knoll, and especially Skipper, which produced Incas Table (1978), Estral Shelving System (1981), Chicago Chair (1983), and Central Table (1985).

Mangiarotti’s numerous design and architecture awards include the Domus Formica Award (1956), the Prix Européen de la Construction Métallique (1979), the Compasso d’Oro Career Award (1994), and the Marble Architectural Award (1994, 2007).

Many of his works are on display at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, the Triennale di Milano, and the Gallery MA in Tokyo.

Mangiarotti died in Milan at the age of 91 in 2012.

His daughter Anna Mangiarotti (born in 1950) teaches architectural technology at the Polytechnic. She works with lighting designer Vistosi to produce her father’s and her own designs.

Since 2010 Agape Casa has owned the license to produce Mangiarotti’s most popular designs.