Segavento

Livio Castiglioni was born in Milan in 1911, and graduated in architecture in Milan in 1936. Along with architect Luigi Caccia Dominioni, he opened a practice where his brothers Pier Giacomo and Achille also worked in later years. He always pursued his interest in lighting, sounds and audio‑visual installations, and from 1940 until 1956 was a consultant for Phonola and later Brionvega. In 1956, he and his brothers co-founded ADI (Association for Industrial Design), which he later chaired (1959-1960). From 1972 until 1979 he was a co-owner of a practice in via Presolana with his son Piero: they designed the lighting for many public and private art galleries, hotels, offices, showroom, stores and homes as well as temporary exhibitions in Italy and abroad. Their lighting devices were produced by artisans in small series, an example being the Scintilla lighting system. He was also a designer for various companies like Alessi, Artemide, Fontana Arte and Stilnovo. He died in Milan in 1979.

Pietro Maria Castiglioni, known as Piero, was born in Lierna in 1944; he graduated in architecture in 1970 in Milan, where he lives and works, focusing almost exclusively on lighting design (private homes, showrooms, art galleries, museums, shopping centres and sports centres, public and outdoor lighting). In 1968 and again in 1973 he was awarded the Diploma di Collaborazione of Milan’s Triennale, at its 14th and 15th editions. From 1972 to 1979 he was the co-owner of the practice in via Presolana with his father Livio: the practice designed the lighting for many art galleries, both public and private, as well as hotels, offices, showrooms, shops, houses, exhibitions in Italy and abroad. After Livio Castiglioni’s demise, the practice’s activity has continued in the same premises, employing new designers.
The most important projects carried out include: (1985) Paris – Centre G. Pompidou; (1985) Tzukuba, Japan – Expo ‘85; (1986) Venice – Palazzo Grassi; (1986) Paris – Musée d’Orsay; (1987) Barcelona – Catalan Art Museum; (1989) Lisbon – Belém Cultural Centre; (1992) Genoa – Expo ‘92; (1994) Groningen – Groningen Museum; (1997) Rome – Quirinal Palace; (1998) Lisbon – “International Expo ‘98”; (1998) São Paulo (Brazil) – Pinacoteca do Estado; (1998) Rome – Montecitorio Palace; (2001) Milan – Piazzale Cadorna; (2001) Buenos Aires – MALBA; (2002) Milan – Teatro degli Arcimboldi; (2002) Milan – Palazzo Marino, Sala Alessi; (2003) Caltagirone – Scala Santa Maria al Monte; (2003) Mantua – Palazzo Te, Castel San Giorgio, piazza Sordello, city centre; (2005) St. Petersburg – Church of the Saviour on Blood; (2008) Ferrara – Schifanoia Palace; (2009) Palermo – Palazzo Abatellis; (2010) Rome – Roman Forum and Palatine Hill; (2012) Bergamo – Centro Ricerca Italcementi; (2013) Milan – Porta Nuova Garibaldi development. Pietro Maria Castiglioni’s other engagements include his work as a designer and technical consultant for a variety of agencies, businesses and manufacturers of lighting equipment such as Fontana Arte, Stilnovo, Metalspot, Venini, iGuzzini, Castaldi, Omicron, IBT Lighting, Platek; his activity as a professor and member of the Faculties of Architecture and Design at universities in Milan, Rome, Geneva; his role as chief editor of Flare magazine (1989-2009).