Italian design Mama Mia...

Antonio Citterio Architect & Designer


Mamma Mia those Italians! We know their passionate sense of style through Armani, Beretta, Bvlgari, (Bulgari), Cappucino, D&G, Espresso, Ferrari, Ferragamo, Gucci, Lamborghini, Lavazza, Prada and Zegna.

And Citterio? Antonio Citterio? ll maestro, the global architect & industrial designer Signore Citterio who recently visited Bangkok during of his Asia whirlwind tour.
Antonio Citterio’s Bangkok stopover coincided with him presiding at the grand opening of the Bangkok B&B Italia flagship high-end furniture store in Thonglor town and a sold out lecture at the Sukhothai hotel where we met him in the morning.
Dressed in a grey cool wool suit and polo shirt. There is an air of friendly curiosity about Citterio.
“I was born in Meda, near Milan my father was a cabinet maker, an artisan and I became an architect”. he says.
The 1950s, the post war era when Italian architecture, fashion, industrial design, ‘neo realism’ cinema, the pocket-sized Fiat Cinquecento 500 and the revolutionary Vespa scooter created a new powerful wave of the “Made in Italy” style.
Antonio Citterio graduated with a degree in architecture from Milan’s polytechnic university. In 1972 he started his architectural and interior design company.
“ Media made me a designer, a stylist. But I’m an architect, first and foremost,” Antonio Citterio clips as he orders Pellegrino, Italian mineral water, of course.

This is the man who prefers not be called a designer - yet he has designed/created everything from the ergonomic Finnish Iittala cutlery to the Antonio Citterio Technogym, the Grohe single lever basin mixer for the bathroom, furniture: B & B Italy, Maxalto and other brands enough to fill warehouses.
But, also apartment buildings, factories, private villas and a ueber chic boutique hotels around the world were created at his drawing board.
His chef-d'oeuvre hotel job is the Bvlgari property in Milano, a super exclusive inner city garden hotel. “This is where I like to taste my morning cappuccino and read the newspaper – on my way to my office” he says.
Long term, intense client relationships are key to Citterio. This we can see clearly with his B & B Italy association. “Our marriage has lasted for 27 years”, says Cittario laughingly.

Regarding the future Citterio, says: “I would like to design buildings that aren’t corrupted by commercial interests, public spaces a church or a museum. When you design a house, it's no longer yours when the people move in. But with a museum or a church, the space still exists for you”.
And lastly on Asian architecture / design he explains, ” it is just the beginning it will grow when big industry decides it wants to create innovation and not just manufacture copies - but first it will need a change of spirit”.
If you want to look at Antonio Citterio’s limited edition furniture, sofas, arm chairs and other objects head for B & B Italy showroom (gallery) location: Sukhumvit Thonglor Soi Sip.

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