Known as the "Gentleman of Design," architect and designer Antonio Citterio is universally lauded for his comprehensive vision, his sense of timeless elegance, and his pursuit of perfection.

1. Shaker for Skantherm

Born in Meda and educated in architecture at the Politecnico of Milan, Citterio has been a palpable and prolific force in architecture and design since the 70s-with early work designing furniture for B&B Italia while establishing aesthetic affinities and relationships with luminaries like Etore Sottsass and Piero Busnelli.

2. Astrum Table from the Maxalto Collection for B&B Italia

Citterio's clientele reads like a who's-who of architecture and design. He habitually creates products for and collaborates with Vitra, Arclinea, Kartell, Flos, and Axor-Hansgrohe.

3. Grand Sofa for Vitra

His work often displays subtleties of craft and an intricate relationship between materials. Lignum et Lapis, for instance, is a monolithic cooktop, sink, and kitchen island that seamlessly synthesizes stone, steel, and wood. Its Bauhausian echoes are tempered by elegant aesthetic touches-the soft curvatures at either end doing double duty as bar seating; the striated drawer fronts that hint at the rustic and interact with the steel pulls to provide a lovely interplay of darkness and light.

4. Lignum et Lapis for Arclinea

Not without a sense of whimsy, Citterio often employs new-age materials as the raison d’être for a piece. Citterio vigorously affirms that in order for him to create something, be it a building or a house or a simple chair, he must have a reason-the character of a region, the particular feel of a space, or, as in the case of The Spoon Chair, a particularly compelling method of production. Constructed via an innovative dual-component injection process, Spoon synthesizes two unique thermoplastics, molding interior and exterior to achieve both aesthetic appeal and excellent mechanical/ergonomic function.

5. Spoon Chair for Kartell

Citterios's oeuvre extends to lighting–the designer has characterized illumination as the essence of interiors. His work for lighting powerhouse Flos includes the slim and scintillating Kelvin Edge, an adjustable table lamp with die-cast head, joints, and forks, and extruded arms. The polycarbonate photoengraved diffuser lends this piece distinct personality and infinitely adjustable functionality.

6. Kelvin Edge for Flos

Citterio's design extends to kitchen and bath as well. His AXOR Citterio collection has become a benchmark in bathroom design. Expanding his influence into AXOR Citterio E, AXOR Citterio M, and AXOR Universal, his broad range of mixers and accessories each bear his timeless perfectionism and dedication, displaying elegance, excellence, and maximum functionality.

7. AXOR Citterio

Antonio Citterio is a two-time winner of the Compasso d'Oro. He has been awarded the Royal Designer for Industry title by the British Royal Society. Since 2006, he has worked as a lecturer at the Academy of Architecture in Switzerland. In addition to designing products, he operates Antonio Citterio-Patricia Viel and Partners, an architectural studio working internationally in urban planning, office and showroom design and development, and exhibition concepts and communication. Recent projects for residential, retail, and commercial structures; hotels; public spaces; and adaptive reuse of historical buildings can be found in the U.S., Europe, China, Taiwan, and Dubai.

For additional information, see Antonio Citterio-Patricia Viel.