“Today the object is surpassed by the concept of collection which evokes an atmosphere, a style, a space where one feels good.”

With well-considered work often hailed as intuitive, essential, and refined, Rodolfo Dordoni has become a leading figure in Italian architecture and design, working feverishly on interiors that move beyond the object and focuses instead on the whole environment, a balance of modesty and sophistication that flavors the products, collections, and systems he has crafted in his over 40 year long career. Born in Milan in 1954, Dordoni graduated from the Milan Polytechnic in 1979 with a degree in architecture, immersed in the same cultural and intensely robust philosophical milieu as some of the most highly celebrated design minds of all time, including Achille Castiglioni, Marco Zanuso, Vico Magistretti, and Michele de Lucchi.

After working as an architect for a period, Dordoni refocused his energy on industrial design, designing for Artemide’s glass collection before pioneering a new vision for the company as artistic director. Characterized by a rational approach to design, honoring that which is essential and elegant with precise geometries and pure volume, Dordoni embarked on a path of continuous research molded by a visual coherence in form and a passion for that which is modern, subdued in aesthetic, and useful. His successes led him to a number of notable design brands who collaborated with him not only as a designer, but as artistic director as well. After leading Cappellini through a period of impressive growth and innovation throughout the 80s, Dordoni became the artistic director for companies like Fontana Arte, Foscarini, Minotti, and Roda as well, elevating the Made In Italy identity to one synonymous with comfort, elegance, and discretion.

Additional product designs for companies like Cassina, Driade, Flos, KnIndustrie, Moroso, Poliform, Poltrana Frau, Salvatori, and Venini, among others, resulted in some iconic designs that, rigorous and unconventional, exude an air of exclusivity and creative continuity, simple yet substantial. In a marked tribute to flexibility, the Cube 25 Sofa is a sleek collection of linear elements with removable covers that can be arranged in a number of versatile ways for a seating system that is as luxurious as it is adaptable. Another design classic, the Aliante bookcase, was designed in collaboration with Giulio Capellini, and features a slim metal structure juxtaposed with stately wooden shelves for a streamlined look that suits any environment, modern or contemporary, minimal or eclectic. His Suitcase chair for Minotti became an icon for its charming cubic form, and Lumiere, a contemporary restyling of classic bedside lamp, made in blown glass and die case metal, is one of th/.e biggest successes in the Foscarini Collection to date.

With noble forms that captured the imagination of audiences in Italy and around the world, Dordoni’s works have received numerous awards and accolades, including the 2011 National Award for Innovation, Honorable Mention at the 2014 Compasso d’Oro, and the Archiproducts Design Award. In addition to his work as a designer and artistic director, Dordoni heads the Dordoni Architects Studio, which he founded in 2005 alongside Alessandro Acerbi and Luca Zaniboni. Here, the team channels its geometric rigor and spirited imagination to architectural planning and interior design for houses, residential complexes, and commercial sites like offices, showrooms, restaurants, yachts, and hotels, as well as designing exhibit stands for diverse commercial fields. In all, Dordoni’s brilliant myriad of work in both architecture and industrial design combines a sense of sobriety with timeless, cultured grace, earning him high praise as an emblematic leader in the world of design, disseminating the powerful significance of fine Italian quality, style, and functionality to homes across the globe.