The Long Life of Design in Italy: B&B Italia. 50 Years and Beyond

Italian design and its resounding international success are the result of the fortunate encounter between contemporary design culture and the visions of entrepreneurs such as Piero Ambrogio Busnelli (1926–2014). Established in 1966 as a way to make the most of what Busnelli saw as the great potential of new materials for the production of furnishings– an innovative approach carried forward by his successors – B&B Italia has from the outset been the furniture industry that invests more than any other in research and experimentation on new technologies, collaborating with many of the leading international architects and designers: from Afra and Tobia Scarpa to Antonio Citterio, Mario Bellini to Gaetano Pesce, Zaha Hadid, Patricia Urquiola and Naoto Fukasawa. This book charts the company’s history through the products and places that have marked out its development, casting a spotlight on the way its corporate strategies have been intertwined with the poetics of form as explored by its designers. It is a story played out against the ups and downs of the global market, which have been rendered all the more complex and fascinating by the drive towards cultural and economic globalisation.
This is a vital case study for architects, professionals, scholars, collectors and everyone with a passion for the culture of design.