Chair First

Biography Stefano Giovannoni was born in La Spezia in 1954 and graduated from the Faculty of Architecture in Florence in 1978. He lives and works in Milan. He taught and conducted research at the Faculty of Architecture in Florence from 1979 to 1991. He has been a professor at Domus Academy in Milan, at the Universitа del Progetto in Reggio Emilia and professor of Industrial Design at the Universitа di Architettura in Genoa. He works as an industrial and interior designer and architect. He has worked with companies such as Alessi, Amore Pacific, Artsana, Bisazza, Cederroth, Deborah, Elica, Fabbrica Pelletterie Milano, Fiat, Hannspree, Hanssem, Helit, Henkel, Honeywell, Inda, KDDI, Kokuyo, Laufen, Lavazza, LG Hausys, L’Oreal, Magis, Maletti, Meglio, Mikakuto, Moooi, Nestlй, Nissan, NTT Docomo, Oras, Oregon Scientific, Papernet, Promelit, Pulsar, Replay, Samsung, Seiko, Shaf, Siemens, Skitsch, Sodastream, SPC, Star, Telecom, Toto, 3M, Toto, Tubes, Veneta Cucine, Vondom and ZTE. He has designed hugely successful products including the “Girotondo” and “Mami” series in steel for Alessi and, also for Alessi numerous plastic characters fo the Family Follow Fiction collection. His bestsellers include the Bombo range for Magis. He designed IlBagnoAlessi One and the PandaAlessi. In 1980 he won first prize at the “Shinchenchiku Residential Design Competition” judged by Kisho Kurokawa. In the same year he won the competition for a square at Santa Croce sull’Arno (Pisa). In 1985 he won second prize at the Shinchenchiku Residential Design Competition judged by Tadao Ando. In 1989 he won the competition for the restructuring of the old town centre of Castel di Sangro (L’Aquila) with Andrea Branzi and Remo Buti. In 1991 he designed the Italian pavillon for the “Les Capitales Europйennes du nouveau design” exhibition at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. His design objects have won the “Design Plus Award” at the Frankfurt Fair-Ambiente 1994, 1996, 2003, 2005 and 2009; the “100% Design Award” in London in 1997, 2005 and 2009; the “Forum Design Hannover Award” in Hannover in 1999; the “ISH Award” in 2003, the Chicago Atheneum “Good Design Award” in 2010 and the “New York Interior Design 2012 Award”.