Toio Floor Lamp

Achille Castiglioni was born in Milan in 1918. As early as 1940 he dedicated himself to testing industrial production with brothers Livio (1911-1979) and Pier Giacomo (1913-1968). After graduating in architecture in 1944, he began research into shapes, techniques and new materials, aimed at developing an integral design process. He was one of the founders of ADI in 1956. In 1969, he was authorized by the Ministry of Education to teach "Artistic Design for Industry" and was a professor at Turin's Faculty of Architecture until 1980 and then professor of "Industrial Design" in Milan until 1993. In 1987, he received an Honorary Degree from the Royal College of Art (London). He won numerous awards including 9 Compasso d'Oro awards. Achille Castiglioni died in 2002.

He graduated in Architecture in Milan and started his career in the seventies, working alongside his father Livio in their design studio.During this period he developed lighting engineering projects for many art galleries and temporary exhibits, hotels, offices, showrooms, shops and private homes. The Scintilla system, which he co-designed with his father, is a FontanaArte bestseller and the result of the experience he gained during those years. He also designed Sillaba in the same period, followed by Sillabone, inaugurating a new business sector for the Milan-based company, on the fine line between decorative and technical lighting. Together with Gae Aulenti, in the eighties he designed the Parola family and the more techno Calle and Diamante lamps.His most important lighting projects over recent years are: Georges Pompidou Centre – Museum of Contemporary Art (Paris, 1985); Palazzo Grassi (Venice, 1986); Orsay Museum (Paris, 1986); Palazzo Italia at the International Expo '92 (Seville, 1992); Groninger Museum (Groninger, 1994); State Art Gallery (San Paolo, 1998); Poldi Pezzoli Museum (Milan, 2000); Latin American Art Museum (Buenos Aires, 2001); Arcimboldi Theatre (Milan, 2002); Galleria Colonna (Rome, 2003); St. Pierre’s Church (Freiburg, 2008).