Architect, designer, art director, writer, poet, critic, a comprehensive artist in every respect, Gio Ponti has been the subject of extensive historical-critical literature and a remarkable number of exhibitions. Born in Milan in 1891, Giovanni Ponti, known as Gio, studied architecture at the Polytechnic University. After serving in World War I, he worked as the artistic director for the esteemed ceramics manufacturer Richard-Ginori. Between 1923 and 1927, he partnered with architects Mino Fiocchi and Emilio Lancia, opening his own studio in 1928 and founding the famous design magazine Domus. Through the pages of Domus (and those of Lo Stile, a magazine he founded and curated in the 1940s), Ponti influenced international design tastes for over fifty years. Around 1933, Ponti joined engineers Antonio Fornaroli and Eugenio Soncini to create the Studio Ponti-Fornaroli-Soncini, embracing modernist aesthetics, and working together until 1945. In 1950, Ponti won the commission for what would become one of the iconic buildings of the 20th century, the 32-story Pirelli Tower in Milan (built in 1965). This tower later inspired his Pirellone floor lamp, a synthesis of pure lines and technology. In 1952, Alberto Rosselli joined the Studio, which became Studio Ponti-Fornaroli-Rosselli, and even after Rosselli's death in 1976, Ponti continued to work with his lifelong partner, Fornaroli. Throughout his career, Ponti juggled numerous roles: architect, industrial designer, craftsman, professor, painter, editor, and journalist. In addition to his prolific architectural work, his designs also earned him further acclaim. Notable among these are the 1949 Pavoni coffee machine, the first of its kind in the world, as well as various lamps and furniture pieces designed for renowned manufacturers such as Cassina, Artemide, and Venini.