This is the only Alessi design by Marco Zanuso, who I often consider to be the father of Italian design. The Duna set is derived from a design project he presented in 1960 for a competition organised by the American company Reed & Barton. I well remember Zanuso describing the middle section of the pieces as an imaginary “narrow waist”, the extremely “tight” central part of the cutlery being very reminiscent of the clothes worn by young ladies from good homes in the 1950’s.
Zanuso Marco
Born in Milan in 1916, he graduated in archtecture from the Polytechnic in Milan where he worked as professor afterwards. He has influenced architecture and industrial design since 1945. He was editor in chief at Domus from 1947 to 1949 and from 1952 to 1954 he was editor at Casabella. Among Zanuso's most important architectural works there are the Olivetti industrial complexes in Buenos Aires and in São Paolo whereas among his most important objects there are furnishings designed for Artflex, the Brion Vega television set and the Borletti and Necchi sewing-machine. He has been awarded many international prizes at various Triennials and has received several Compasso d'Oro design awards.
Graphic concept, templating and develop
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