The first complete monograph on the provocative work of influential Italian designer, architect, and critic Alessandro Mendini

Born in Milan in 1931, Alessandro Mendini created vivid, boundary-pushing, eccentric work that sits in an aesthetic universe of its own. He was at the heart of Italy’s Radical design movement in the 1960s and 1970s and, later, Postmodernism, championing a sensitive and intellectual approach to design; he edited Domus magazine in the early 1980s; and he collaborated with brands ranging from Alessi, Swarovski, and Hermès to Supreme. Along with his contemporaries Ettore Sottsass and Gaetano Pesce, Mendini helped to redefine the concept of Italian design and architecture.

This comprehensive monograph – the first on Mendini’s complete portfolio of work – features a wealth of previously unpublished documents and images. Written by critic Stefano Casciani, who worked with Mendini for many years, the book offers a uniquely personal account illustrated by photographs, ephemera, and many of Mendini’s idiosyncratic and playful sketches.

Presented in a dynamic package inspired by Mendini’s distinctive aesthetic, the book is a design object in its own right, with a pink cloth cover featuring one of Mendini’s iconic magazine covers on the front, a sketch of his famous Proost chair on the back, and die-cut laminated tip-in chapter openers with wavy edges.

About the Author:

Stefano Casciani is a writer, designer, curator, and consultant based in Milan. He began working at Domus in 1979, marking the beginning of a 40-year friendship and collaboration with Mendini, and has authored many books on architecture and design.

With offices in Milan and New York, Lissoni & Partners has a 30-year history in developing international projects in the fields of architecture, landscape, interior, product, and graphic design, as well as acting as art director for a range of prestigious companies.

Led by Piero Lissoni, the practice combines a range of expertise with a tailored approach that sets it apart, establishing a stylistic code and a visual identity that are clearly recognizable. The works are inspired by a sense of rigor and simplicity and are characterized by a regard to detail, coherence, and elegance with particular attention to proportion and harmony.

Piero Lissoni is creative director for Alpi, B&B Italia, Boffi, Living Divani, Lema, Lualdi, Porro, and Sanlorenzo, for whom he also designs an extensive range of products. Recognized as one of the masters of contemporary design, he has worked with many international brands including Alessi, Antrax, Atlas Concorde, Bonacina 1889, Cappellini, Cassina, Cotto, De Padova, Fantini, Fendi Casa, Flos, illycaffè, Janus et Cie, Kartell, Kerakoll, Knoll, Olivari, Salvatori, and Tecno.

Organized around different fields of intervention, the practice comprises Lissoni Casal Ribeiro for masterplans, landscape design, and architecture; Lissoni Associati for interior design, product design, art direction, and fit-outs; and Lissoni Graphx for graphic design, visual communication, and brand identity, while Lissoni New York develops architecture and interior design projects for the American continent.

The book, edited by Stefano Casciani, is the first far-reaching monographic study on Lissoni, richly illustrated with photographs, floor plans, and sketches. It is structured by theme and includes Lissoni’s most important projects for industrial and residential architecture, as well as commercial and public spaces, museums displays, boats, graphic design, and product design.

About the Author:

Stefano Casciani is a designer, artist, and writer, with many publications, exhibits, and books to his credit for which he has received prestigious awards. He was vice-director of Domus from 2000 to 2010 and co-director with A. Mendini for the series “La Nuova Utopia” (2010–2011). In 2012 he founded the magazine Disegno, la nuova cultura industriale, and in 2016 he established the SOS School of Sustainability together with Mario Cucinella. His designs and objects can be found in private and public collections, including Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Gand, the Wolfsonian–FIU in Miami, and the ADI Design Museum di Milan, to name but a few.

The quintessential works of Modernism

For over eight decades domus has been the world's most influential architecture and design journal. Founded in 1928 by the great Milanese architect Gio Ponti, it has consistently highlighted the characteristic styles of each age, from Art Deco, Modernism, Functionalism, to Pop, Postmodernism and Late Modern. Beautifully designed and documented, domus presents the most exciting projects from around the world.
Each volume of TASCHEN's domus reprint collection reproduces a selection of the magazine's original pages, packed with articles tracing the history of modern design and architecture. Available as 12 separate volumes covering 1928-1999, this series is a major publishing event and a must-have item for design and architecture institutions and practices, architects, designers, students, and anyone who loves design.

1960–1964: Design goes pop
The early '60s saw the rise of Pop Art and popular culture, leading to Pop Design–particularly in interiors, where new synthetics and plastics replaced metal, glass or wood, leading to radical new designs. Volume V features designs by Ray and Charles Eames, Verner Panton, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, and Joe Colombo. In architecture, buildings by Gio Ponti, Carlo Scarpa, Angelo Mangiarotti, James Stirling, and Eero Saarinen are among the highlights.