Giovanni “Gio” Ponti (1891-1979) is one of Italy’s masters of modern architecture, an artist and essayist who was also one of the most important interior designers of the twentieth century. In his three inspiring Milanese homes — via Randaccio, Casa Laporte, and via Dezza — he fully expressed his “Ponti” style: sophisticated, economic, democratic, and utterly modern. The following twelve pieces, reissued by Italian design masters Molteni&C, are some of Ponti’s finest, thanks to their iconic style, timeless functionality, and easy elegance.
D.859.1 Table
Designed primarily for meetings of up to ten people, the D.859.1 table is impressive not only for its size but for its simple yet refined design. The elegant legs create a trapezoidal, single-span bridge upon which the large, tapered top rests, creating a sense of aerodynamic strength and lightness. Originally made of solid ash with bronze ferrules, the table is now available in darker-toned wood such as Black Stained Ash as well as two smaller versions that faithfully reproduce the harmony and proportions of the original design.
D.151.4 Armchair
Ponti’s passion for nautical furnishings was born from his experience designing and upgrading four ocean liners and two cruise ships built just after World War II. The D.151.4 Armchair was designed in 1951, with slight variations, for those ships. More than a half-century later, Molteni&C’s D.151.4 proves that “unique pieces can step straight out of their museum showcases and into our contemporary homes.”
D.153.1 Armchair
A re-edition produced by Molteni&C based on original drawings from the Ponti archives, the D.153.1 armchair is part of the furniture of Gio Ponti’s private house in via Dezza in Milan. The structure is brass, with a cover in bicolor blue and white leather, or “Punteggiato” fabric, designed by Ponti fur Rubelli in 1934. The look reinterprets the age-old technique of velvet-weaving and updates it with contemporary patterns and colors.
D.154.2 Armchair
Designed for one of Ponti’s most cherished projects, the villa of the Planchart collectors in Caracas (1953-57), the D.154.2 Armchair is part of the Gio Ponti Collection, curated by Molteni&C under the artistic direction of Studio Cerri & Associati. The softly curved, shell-like design reflects the ideas Inspired by Ponti’s first visits to Latin America. A Molteni&C icon, this “love chair” winner of the prestigious Wallpaper Design Awards is available upholstered in the Molteni&C textile range, with the option of differentiating the three component parts.
D.156.3 Armchair
Designed by Ponti and produced for the American company Altamira, this armchair was displayed in the company’s showroom in New York, along with furniture by leading Italian designers on exhibit at the 10th Milan Triennale design and art museum.
D.552.2 Small Table
Made of solid rosewood with satinized bronze legs and an ultra light transparent top, the D.552.2 table’s acrobatic proportions and unexpected intersection of joints in the middle result in “a geometric dialogue between the glass and rosewood — lightness and abstraction distilled.”
D.555.1 Small Table
From Ponti’s house, located in via Dezza in Milan, this table completes the Gio Ponti Collection which was a furnishing range designed by the architect between 1935 and the 1950s. Produced by Molteni&C based on the original drawings from the Ponti archive, the structure is hand-painted metal with a glass top.
D.355.1 Hanging Bookcase
This simple yet striking hanging bookcase was a piece that Ponti redesigned several times over the years, refashioning it for his via Dezza home in Milan. Available in two lengths, with two partitions, the bookcase is hand-painted in white with an elmwood finish.
D.950.1 Frames
Designed in 1950, this collection of frames in different sizes features white, hand-painted, solid wood. The frames are available in versions with or without applied mirror.
D.754.1 Rug
Designed in 1954, this eye-catching, 94 ½” x 96 ½” rug is made of pony leather in white, black, brown, and beige.
D.655.1/D.655.2 Chest of Drawers
This distinctive chest of drawers was designed in several versions in the period from 1952 to 1955, with the new version produced from original drawings. The elmwood frame rests on satin brass feet and the hand-painted white drawer fronts feature applied handles in various woods, including elm, Italian walnut, mahogany, and rosewood.
D.235.2 Chair
In 1935, Gio Ponti designed the first Montecatini building at Largo Donegani in Milan. He designed everything, from architecture to furnishings, including desks, chairs, lamps, and wardrobes. In 2014, with the approval of the Ponti heirs, Moletni&C introduced the reworked Montecatini chair, embellishing the all-aluminum version with a seat and seatback covered in hiding leather.
