Discover our Designers

Maurizio Peregalli

Designer / Artist

Maurizio Peregalli was born 1951 in Varese. In 1984 he funded ZEUS with a group of friends and is now art director and CEO.

Since ever he has a deeply minimalistic approach to design. Tireless investigator and researcher of new materials, twisting and shaking uses of industrial-type elements. Since 1980 he collaborates with several companies, including Giorgio Armani, Replay, Furla and Giglio Palermo for which he designs, plans and carries out fashion boutiques in Italy and abroad.

For years he has been promoter of exhibitions and cultural events, giving new designers, artisans and young producers worldwide a chance to display their prototypes, to meet and to make themselves known.

Marie Christine Dorner

Designer

A multicultural ‘French touch’, a perfectionist gesture which unites traditional skills with high technology. Marie Christine Dorner nourishes elegance and refinement, this touch which characterizes French creativity, with her knowledge of what other major cultures bring us in terms of the ‘art of living’. Her journey translates this unique energy.

A globe-trotter, her travels have shaped her career. At the age of 25, she decided to undertake a world tour. Stopping off in Tokyo, she ended up staying for a year thanks to a decisive meeting with Teruo Kurosaki, Director of the manufacturer IDEE, a point of reference in the international design world. This talent scout commissioned a collection of furniture from her. She designed and exhibited her first family of origami-inspired pieces in folded steel, which was much admired in Japan. Philippe Starck wrote the preface to her catalogue.

On her return to Paris, she became an emblematic figure in the resurgence of design in France. Whilst continuing her collaboration with Japan, she designed the La Villa hotel in Saint-Germain des Prés, the first ‘designer hotel’ in Paris, the restaurant at the Comédie Française and, in 1990, the presidential rostrum for the 14th July celebrations, which has been reused every year since then.

In 1996 she moved to London, where she lived for 12 years. Parallel to her design work she lectured at the Royal College of Art at the request of Ron Arad. In 2004, her exhibition, ‘Une forme / One Shape’, which ran in both Paris and Japan, marked a decisive turning point for her as she developed the concept of ‘Matière Matters’, which she has pursued in her work ever since.

Marie Christine Dorner, who graduated with honours from the école Camondo in Paris, was awarded the Grand prix du Design de la ville de Paris in 1995. In 2012, she was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres medal.

Dorner

Ron Arad

Architect / Designer

Born in Tel Aviv in 1951, educated at the Jerusalem Academy of Art and later at the Architectural Association in London, Ron Arad co-founded with Caroline Thorman the design and production studio One Off in 1981 and later, in 1989, Ron Arad Associates architecture and design practice. In 2008 Ron Arad Architects was established alongside Ron Arad Associates.

From 1994 to 1999 he established the Ron Arad Studio, design and production unit in Como, Italy. He was Professor of Design Product at the Royal College of Art in London up until 2009. Ron Arad was awarded the 2011 London Design Week Medal for design excellence and was became a Royal Academician of the Royal Academy of Arts in 2013.

Ron Arad’s constant experimentation with the possibilities of materials such as steel, aluminium or polyamide and his radical re-conception of the form and structure of furniture has put him at the forefront of contemporary design and architecture. 

Alongside his limited edition studio work, Arad designs for many leading international companies including Kartell, Vitra, Moroso, Fiam, Driade, Alessi, Cappellini, Cassina, Zeus, WMF, Magis among many others.

Ron Arad has designed a number of Public Art pieces, most recently the Vortext in Seoul, Korea, and the Kesher Sculpture at Tel Aviv University.

Ron-Arad

Franco Raggi

Architect / Designer

Architect, Born in Milan 1945.

Graduated at Milan Politecnico in 1969

From 1971 to 1975 he served as editor on the architecture magazine Casabella, and later as editor-in-chief(1977-1980) and manager (1981-83) of the design magazine MODO.

In 1973 he was curator of the first critic exhibition of the Italian Radical Design in the Berlin Internationale Design Zentrum.

In 1975/76 acted as assistant coordinator of the Visual Art-Architecture Section of the Venice Biennale and curator of the exhibition “Europa-America: architetture urbane-alternative suburbane”.

At the Triennale di Milano acted as curator in the “Raccolta del Design” section in1979/80, and in the exhibition “Le case delle Triennale”, 1983

As author took part in exhibitions those being: “Assenza/Presenza” (Bologna 1978), “Provokationen” (Dusseldorf 1982, “Dal cucchiaio alla città” (Milano 1983), La neomerce” (Milano-Parigi 1985), “Habitat” (Parigi, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Basilea, 1988). “L’oggetto Banale” (Venezia 1981), “Design: Il futuro delle metropoli” Triennale di Milano (1988)

As architect and designer he has produced: architecture, interior design, stage sets, and product design objects for many companies as: Fontana Arte, Cappellini International interiors, Poltronova, Luceplan, Roset, Tendentse/Alessi, Vetrerie Vistosi, Barovier & Toso, Terre Blu, Artemide, Danese, Zeus.

Franco-Raggi

Doriana & Massimiliano Fuksas

Architects / Designers

Massimiliano Fuksas of Lithuanian descent, was born in Rome in 1944. He graduated in Architecture from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” in 1969. Since the Eighties he has been one of the main protagonists of the contemporary architectural scene.
From 1994 to 1997 he was a member of the Planning Commissions in Berlin and Salzburg. In 1998 he was awarded for his professional career with “Vitruvio International a la Trayectoria” in Buenos Aires. From 1998 to 2000 he directed the “VII Mostra Internazionale di Architettura di Venezia”, Less Aesthetics, More Ethics. In 1999 he received the Grand Prix National d’Architecture Française, the following year he was named National Academic of San Luca and was decorated Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de la République Française. In 2002 the Honorary Fellowship of the AIA – American Institute of Architects , Washington D.C. Three years later member of the Académie d’Architecture in Paris. In 2006 the Honorary Fellowship of the RIBA – Royal Institute of British Architects, London UK and was named Cavaliere di Gran Croce della Repubblica Italiana. In 2010 he was decorated with Légion d’Honneur by the French President. In 2012 the Medal of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers in Italy, and the Global Lithuanian Award, Art and Culture category in Vilnius, Lithuania. The following year the Idea-Tops Awards, Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport-T3, awarded Best Transportation Space in Shenzhen, China. In 2014 Architizer A + Award and Architizer A + Pop¬¬ular Choice Award, Transportation-Airports category in New York. From 2000 to 2015 he was author of the architecture column – founded by Bruno Zevi – in the Italian news magazine “L’Espresso” and from 2014 to 2015 he was, with his wife, the author of the Design column in the Italian newspaper “La Repubblica”.
He has been Visiting Professor at a number of Universities such as Columbia University in New York, the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris, the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Wien, the Staatliche Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Stuttgart.
Long since he is dedicating special attention to the study of urban problems in large metropolitan areas.

 

Doriana Mandrelli Fuksas was born in Rome where she graduated in History of Modern and Contemporary Architecture at the University of Rome “La Sapienza” in 1979. She has also earned a degree in Architecture from ESA, École Spéciale d’Architecture, Paris. She has done didactic activities at the Institute of History of Art at the Faculty of Letters and Arts and at Industrial Design Department ITACA at “La Sapienza” University in Rome. She has curated four “Special Projects” at the “VII Mostra Internazionale di Architettura di Venezia”, Less Aesthetics, More Ethics in 2000: Jean Prouvè, Jean Maneval, the Peace Pavilion and Architecture of Spaces, and the Contemporary Art section. She has worked with Massimiliano Fuksas in 1985 and has been director in charge of “Fuksas Design” since 1997. In 2002 she was decorated Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de la République Française. In 2006 Awards for Excellence Europe” ULI (Urban Land Institute), first prize awarded to New Trade Fair, Rho-Pero in Milan, Italy, Washington D. C. In 2012 Wallpaper* Design Awards 2012, EUR New Congress Centre, Rome, Italy awarded Best Building Site, London, UK. In 2013 she was decorated Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres de la République Française. The same year the Idea-Tops Awards, Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport-T3, awarded Best Transportation Space in Shenzhen, China and Designer Kitchen & Bathroom Awards 2013, Impronta wash-basin for Catalano awarded Gold Winner in the Innovation in Design, London.
From 2014 to 2015 she was, with Massimiliano Fuksas, the author of the Design column in the Italian newspaper “La Repubblica”.

©Gianmarco Chieregato_DSC1308ab_1

Krit Jiratkaruen

Designer

Born 1989 in Bangkok. With the passion in art and design, he went to Italy to improve his skill and earned his master in Interior and product design from Accademia Italiana Florence. After graduated with honors he moved back to Thailand and started to work as a freelance artistic designer, collaborated with several enterprises for many projects such Asiatique The Riverfront, Mega Bangna ( IKEA Thailand ) and Toscana Valley.

In 2013, he decided to relocate to Milan where he finished his second master in industrial design at Domus Academy and started to work with Maurizio Peregalli the year after, as industrial design assistant for ZEUS.

Krit Jiratkaruen received several awards, including ZEPTER International Design Award for lighting design, Domestic furniture design with Gufram for and Prior Thai for amenities designaward for Ritz-Calton.

Claudio Nardi

Architect / Designer

Claudio Nardi was born in Tuscany in 1951. He was a pupil of the acclaimed Italian architect and designer, Carlo Scarpa, from 1973-74, and graduated from the University of Florence in 1978.
As well as his many architectural achievements, Claudio has designed interiors, furniture and a range of products for renowned Italian manufacturers. He has an evolving fascination for both new and traditional materials and an understanding of the importance of the use of light within any space. With his meticulous eye for detail, Claudio produces solutions which are always highly sensitive to their function and to their location.
His architectural work, both in Italy and internationally, includes cultural, civic, hospitality and residential projects. Claudio’s design for the Museum of Contemporary Art, built around the former Schindler factory in Krakow, won much international acclaim. He is a great innovator, but understands and respects history. With all his work, his aim is to achieve a perfect balance of form and function; his designs not only serve people, but communicate with them on many levels.
Claudio will carefully consider each site before embarking upon any proposal. His work is decisive and yet sensitive, always unique, and often full of surprises.
He often deals with the process of ‘transformation’, renewing the existing and bringing new life to forgotten urban fabric.
He has designed numerous fashion boutiques, and has created the retail image for many famous brands such as Dolce & Gabbana, Malo, Tod’s, Gianfranco Ferrè, Extè, Desmo, BP Studio and LuisaViaRoma.
He is a regular visiting lecturer at universities both in Italy and abroad, and his work has been published in a number of prestigious publications including Arca, Domus, Elle Decor, Monocle, Interni, The Plan, Vogue and Wallpaper.
Claudio has won numerous architectural competitions, and relishes participation whenever time allows. He is recognised as one of Italy’s leading architects, and welcomes the many opportunities to extend that success into new markets.

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Roberto Tognon

Architect / Designer

Born in Padova in 1951, obtained his degree at the department of achitecture in Venice, opened his studio in Padova in 1986 where he still lives and works.

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Christian Theill

Designer

Born in Germany in 1954, he lives in Italy since 1975 (Italian citizenship since 2007).
In 1980 he finishes the Italian State Design School (ISIA) in Florence with honors. Since 1981 he works as free-lance in Florence, offering consultancies in industrial design, engineering industrialization and corporate identity for companies in Italy and abroad.