This cutlery was awarded the first prize in the competition coordinated by Giò Ponti for Reed & Barton in 1960, but was never manufactured, probably because of the extreme technical problems posed by the knives. In the end, we found a way to manufacture them: it was expensive but reasonable and, with the assistance of Achille Castiglioni, we completed the set and presented it in 1997.
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.
Castiglioni Pier Giacomo
Born in Milan in 1913. He graduated in architecture from the Polytechnic of Milan where he later would teach architectural composition. He started working with his brothers Achille and Livio immediately after the war focussing their attention mainly on city planning, architecture and particularly on design. Together with Achille, he received various acknowledgements such as the permanent exhibition of six of their works at the Museum of Modern Art of New York and won five editions of the Compasso d'Oro award.
Graphic concept, templating and develop
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