The Bavero (1997) porcelain set is another superb specimen of Castiglioni's work. This project draws its raison d'être from what the architect was referring to as "the principal design element", in other words the key project idea that the designer must seize, the intuition at the start of any job: in this case, it's a simple (but highly significant, not to say bold) design move, folding the edges of the plates downwards.
Castiglioni Achille
Born in Milan in 1918, he started work as an architect and designer with his brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo in 1938. One of the great masters of Italian design, he was a founding member of ADI in the fifties. The long list of awards he has received include eight Compassi d'Oro. His activity as a designer is an unmistakable blend of simplicity, irony and fun and its shows his close interest in the way objects are used, in the potential offered by technology and in the use of new materials. He dies in 2002.