Happy Birthday, UniFor! Born in 1969, this lady with a vocation for architecture is celebrating her first
50 years with the story of a family – the truest portrait of the Italian design industry. A book, an installation,
an exciting future. It all began, as with many industrial design traditions, in Brianza, the heart of Italy’s
furniture district. This was a time when design culture was ferrying craftsmanship over to industry,
all in the service of aesthetics and practicality. UniFor developed from the story of a family into a whole
new chapter in Italian history. Originally, it was an idea of a community cherished by its founding fathers,
brothers, cousins, relations and friends, all of whom shared the same vision and talent. But it was also
testament to exceptional far-sightedness, skills, competence and creativity. Very soon, UniFor established
itself as synonymous with elegance, reliability and innovation – design for life, if you will, rather than just
a design industry. And so, this year sees Molteni&C open three new flagship stores, all designed by Vincent
Van Duysen, in cities that never fail to amaze: New York, London and Tokyo. This publication chronicles
new and unexpected encounters, new worldwide projects and new designers from every continent. It also
reviews a major Gio Ponti exhibitionat at the Paris MAD. Living is not just a question of style, or, as the
great Gio himself said: “Architecture is an interpretation of life”. Chapeau les artistes!
by Ron Gilad
M&C issue 13 – 2019
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