Vintage Rich Leather Armchair by Antonio Citterio for Moroso, 1989

Born in 1950 in Meda, Italian designer-architect Antonio Citterio is admired for his multifaceted furniture designs, which span bold-colored plastic storage solutions for Kartell to luxury seating designs for B&B Italia and Maxalto.

Citterio opened his own studio in 1972, three years before he graduated from Milan’s Polytechnic School of Architecture. Since then, he has collaborated with major European design houses including Ansorg, Arclinea, Axor-Hansgrohe, B&B Italia, Flexform, Flos, Hermès, Iittala, Kartell, Sanitec Group, Technogym, Tre Più, and Vitra.

Citterio’s most notable furniture designs include the Sity Sofa (1986) for B&B Italia, which was awarded a Compasso d’Oro the following year; the extendable Battista Table (1991), Oxo Trolley (1992), and Mobil Container System (1993, Compasso d’Oro in 1994), all for Kartell, T-Chair (1996) for Vitra, Dolly Chair (1996) for Kartell, and the Luta and Ac Chairs (2006 and 2009) for B&B Italia. Since 1993, Antonio has worked as Head of Design at Maxalto, a subsidiary brand of B&B.

Between 1987 and 1996, he worked on many architectural projects in Europe and Japan with American architect Terry Dwan. Projects from this time include the redesign of a block in the historical center of Seregno, Italy (1987); the Esprit headquarters in Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Milan (1987); and industrial plants for Vitra in Germany (1992-2009) and Antonio Fusco in Milan (1993).

In 1999, he co-founded the architecture and design firm Antonio Citterio & Partners with Italian architect Patricia Viel (b. 1962). The firm—which was renamed Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners in 2009—specialises in the design of residential, commercial, hotel, office, and public spaces. Today, it remains the largest architectural firm in Italy, with an annual revenue of over 10 million euro. Notable projects include the premium passenger lounge at Qatar airport, Bulgari Hotels in Milan (2004), Bali (2006), and London (2012), Brooktorkai residential units and offices in Hamburg (2010), and the NOVE office building in Munich (2013-16).

Since 2006, Citterio has lectured in the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio at the University of Lugano. Notably, Citterio has been the subject of three published biographies, Antonio Citterio Industrial Design (2004), Antonio Citterio (2005), and Antonio Citterio: Architettura e Design (2007). In 2008, he was honored by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufacture & Commerce of London, earning the prestigious title ‘Royal Designer for Industry’.

His Mobil Container System is part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, as is the Battista Table, Oxo Trolley, and Dolly Chair.

Udine, Italy-based Moroso was founded as a small-scale, artisanal upholstery company in 1952 by Agostino Moroso, who served as director until the 1990s. At that time, Agostino’s children, Roberto and Patrizia Moroso took over and began to transform the traditional, regionally-focused family business into the innovative, internationally renowned furniture manufacturer it is today. In the role of Creative Director, Patrizia Moroso in particular has not only reinvented her company’s mission but also has had a lasting influence on 21^st-century design discourse through her frequent, high profile collaborations with some of the world’s most talented designers. In 1988, while still working under her father, she invited Israeli-British designer Ron Arad to produce his now-iconic Big Easy Chair, which helped to launch his career and set Moroso on a path to become one of the biggest players in contemporary design.

Moroso defines its approach to design as a laboratory for experimentation that underscores the value of communication, differentiation, and diversity. The values embraced by the brand are visible in the daringness of their lines of sofas, chairs, tables, accessories, and more. Highlights from the Moroso collection include Australian designer Marc Newson’s Gluon series (1993), Spanish artist Javier Mariscal’s Los Muebles Amorosos series (1995), British designer Tom Dixon’s Serpentine Sofas (2003), British designer Ross Lovegrove’s Supernatural Chairs, Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka’s Bouquet Chairs (2008), Japanese studio Nendo’s Kub Tables (2009), as well more recent additions, such as Arad’s unconventional Glider Sofa (2015) and architect David Adjaye’s Art Deco-influenced Double Zero Chair (2015).  Moroso’s ongoing relationship with Spanish architect-designer Patricia Urquiola has generated a number of highly successful pieces, like the Fjord (2002), Bloomy (2004), Antibodi (2006), Tropicalia (2008), and Fishbone (2012) series. In recent years, Moroso has contributed to a global awareness of African design and craft through the M’Afrique project and collection launched in 2009 in collaboration with Urquiola, Dutch designer , and other design greats.

In addition to its domestic furniture and accessories output, over the years, the brand has expanded into the hospitality, education, healthcare, and corporate sectors. Drawing on the worlds of industrial design, contemporary art, and fashion, Moroso has also created temporary installations for Venice Biennale (2013), Art Basel Miami Beach (2010), and Palais de Tokyo (2006).