Andrea Branzi

BIOGRAPHY

Branzi’s artistic approach consisted of an attempt to connect the industrial world to the poetry of nature. This can be seen clearly in his collection Tree. He said, “Trees, trunks, and branches are part of our ancient culture, but also of actual culture, because in the age of globalization, design seeks to trace recognizable anthropological platforms.”

Architect and designer Andrea Branzi was known for his intellectual approach to design. Branzi was born in Florence, Italy in 1938 and passed away in 2023. From 1964 to 1974 he was a partner in the internationally renowned design studio Archizoom Associati, whose projects are now in the Centro Studi e Archivio della Comunicazione in Parma and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris.

From 1967 he worked in the fields of industrial and research design, architecture, urban planning, education, and cultural promotion. He was a professor at the Politecnico di Milano and gave lectures and seminars as a visiting professor in Italy, France, Holland, Belgium, England, Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Israel, Thailand, and the United States.

Branzi was also a freelance writer whose essays appeared in major publications. He published several volumes with the MIT Press. He exhibited design work at the Venice Biennale and the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain in Paris, among many others.

Awards

2008
/ Architectural prize Gevel Totaal 2008, Rotterdam, NL.

2007
/ Winner Woonbeurs Pin, Amsterdam, NL.
/ Winner International Elle Deco Design Award, tableware 2006.
/ Winner International Elle Deco Design Award, lighting 2006.

2006
/ Perished selected for International Design Yearbook 2006.

2005
/ Winner International Elle Deco Design Award, Milan, IT.

2004
/ Nomination, Bombay Sapphire prize, London, UK.

2003
/ Nomination, Harrie Tillie Prize, Stedelijk Museum, Roermond, NL.

1997
/ First prize at “Pirelli Energy” competition for the design of a low consumption tyre.

1996
/ First Prize IF of Hannover Fair for the CD-ROM I protagonisti del design italiano.

1994
/ Special Mention of European Design Prize as strategic consultant of Interieur.

1991
/ Baden Wüttemberg Award for the stone table “Quadrio” for Up&Up.

1989
/ Certificate of Commendation of Robert Maxwell Prize, Royal College of Art di Londra for the essay “Seven Theses on Design”.

1979
/ Compasso d’Oro Award, Clino Castelli and Massimo Morozzi for
primary design realized with Centro Design Montefibre, International Award at First Biennial of Design, Buenos Aires.

1969
/ (with Archizoom Associati) Silver medal, competition Yamagiwa for light design, Tokyo, Japan.

Literature

1999
/ ‘Introduzione al design italiano’, Baldini & Castoldi, Milano.

1998
/ ‘Genetic Tales’, Alessi, Verbania.

1997
/ ‘La crisi della qualità’, Edizioni della Battaglia, Palermo.

1996
/ ‘Il design italiano 1963-1990’, Electa, Milano.

1994
/ (with Francesco Gurrieri), ‘Villa S. Ignazio a Fiesole,’ Alinea, Firenze.

1992
/ ‘Luoghi, anthology Andrea Branzi’s main worka between 1966 and 1991’, Rizzoli International, New York;Idea Books, Milano, Italy; Thames and Hudson U.K.; Ernst & Sohn,Germany.

1991
/ ‘Formes des Métropoles – Nouveaux Designs en Europe’, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.

1990
/ ‘La Quarta Metropoli’, Domus Academy, collection of the projects of Urban Scenography in 1986/87.

1988
/ ‘Learning from Milan’, M.I.T. Press (USA), English translation of the book Pomeriggi alla media-industria – Design e Seconda Modernità, Idea Books (Italia). (79 pages) IN 1992 publication of the French translation, Centre Georges Pompidou with the title Nouvelles de la Metropole Froide.

1986
/ ‘Animali Domestici’, Idea Books (Italy), M.I.T. Press (USA), Philippe Sers (France).

1984
/ ‘La Casa Calda – Esperienze del Nuovo Design Italiano’, Idea Books (Italy), M.I.T. Press (USA), Thames and Hudson (England), L’Equerre (France).

1983
/ ‘Merce e Metropoli- esperienze del Nuovo Design italiano’, Epos, Palermo.

1981
/ ‘Il Design italiano degli anni ’50’, editing and coordination of the catalog of the exhibition at Centrokappa di Binasco.

1980
/ ‘Moderno, Post-moderno, Millenario’, anthology of essays, Studio Forma/Alchymia, Milano.

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MUSEUM REFERENCES

/ Cultural Center Scharpoord of Knokke and at the Architecture Society, Bruxelles
/ Centro per l’arte contemporanea in Ceramica, Sassuolo, Modène
/ Museum of Arts and Crafts, Gent
/ Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Montreal
/ Centre Cayc, Buenos Aires
/ Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris. Musée Saint Pierre, Lyon
/ Museo d’Arte Moderna, Modène. Centre George Pompidou, Paris
/ FRAC, Orleans
/ Navile of Manifattura Tabacchi, Bologna
/ KOMA for the Korean Cultural Centre, Los Angeles

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