Ignazio Gardella's 184 table is born from the perfect synthesis of form and function. It is a versatile, elegant table with linear geometricity, rich in design and details that reveal themselves upon careful observation. The functionality of the object is achieved through a mechanism that allows the plane to extend in a coplanar manner, thereby increasing the usable surface area of the table. This object is capable of condensing both functionality and aesthetic characteristics, thanks to the selective use of detailed materials, here in brass, giving the object that touch of elegance typical of Gardella's sensibility. The structure is made of black lacquered metal, and the top is made of exquisite Carrara white marble.
G. Gramigna, Repertoire of Italian design 1950-2000, p. 350, Allemandi, 2003.
Ignazio Gardella was born on March 30, 1905, in Milan. He graduated in Engineering in 1930 and began his profession at his father Arnaldo's engineering studio in Milan. From the beginning of his long and prolific career, he embraced the principles of rationalism. Among his major works in the 1930s are the expansion of Villa Borletti in Milan (1936) and the anti-tuberculosis clinic in Alessandria (1938). In 1949, he obtained a degree in Architecture from IUAV in Venice, where he pursued an academic career from 1950 until 1975. After World War II, he actively participated in architectural debates: as a member of the MSA (Movement for Architectural Studies), he participated in the first congress of the INU (National Institute of Urban Planning) in 1947. Between 1952 and 1956, he co-directed, alongside Alberto Samonà, Franco Albini, and Ernesto N. Rogers, the summer school of the CIAM (International Congresses of Modern Architecture) in Venice. He was also part of the Italian delegation at the last CIAM congress in Otterlo (1959). Among his post-war achievements are the Borsalino staff housing in Alessandria (1952), the Contemporary Art Gallery in Milan (1953), the residential house at Zattere in Venice, and the Olivetti canteen in Ivrea (both designed in 1958, with Roberto Guiducci). He also designed the Alfa Romeo offices in Arese (1972), the Monument to the Fallen of the Partisan Struggle and the Loggia Square in Brescia (1984, 1988), and the new Carlo Felice Theater in Genoa (with Aldo Rossi and Fabio Reinhardt, 1990).
Parallel to his architectural works, Ignazio Gardella played a decisive role in the field of design by conceiving iconic furniture pieces, contributing to the promotion of Italian design on the international stage. His work intersected various movements and styles, demonstrating a versatility and aesthetic sensitivity that made his contribution a distinctive element in the history of architecture and design in Italy. In 1946, Gardella, along with Luigi Caccia Dominioni, co-founded Azucena, the first company to inaugurate the Italian production of high-quality design.
Ignazio Gardella passed away in Oleggio on March 15, 1999. /