DESIGN ENSHRINED: Nearly 50 years after legendary designer Gio Ponti’s death, Milan will finally honor his memory with a shrine to his creative legacy.
Milan’s ADI Design Museum told WWD on Tuesday that it is in the throes of amplifying its museum complex with an 8,611-square-foot space dedicated to Ponti’s work.
The museum space is expected to be ready by the end of 2026, a representative for ADI said, adding that the Region of Lombardy is a major partner in the project, confirming a surprise announcement made Monday by Lombardy Region Councilor for Culture Francesca Caruso during the presentation of the ongoing In Play. The In Play exhibit is part of the 2026 Fondazione Milano Cortina Cultural Olympiad program.
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The ADI Design Museum was inaugurated in 2021 and houses the historic winning collections of Italy’s Compasso d’Oro Awards, which remain at its core and is showcased in the permanent exhibition “The Spoon and the City.”
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Housed in a former tram depot built in the 1930s, the ADI Design Museum is located north of the center and at the corner of Milan’s Via Ceresio and Via Bramante.
Ponti was born in 1891 to a Milanese family. His creativity and the effect he had on a generation of designers fueled a distinct chapter of Italian midcentury modern design. Over his 60-year career, Ponti designed buildings, homes, furnishings and design objects. Among his best-known works are the Pirelli Tower skyscraper that continues to define Milan’s skyline; Villa Planchart in Caracas, Venezuela; the Superleggera chair for Cassina; the Bilia table lamp for Fontana Arte, as well as an array of designs for Ginori 1735, where Ponti served as artistic director from 1922 to 1933, when it was still known as Richard Ginori. Ponti also served as the artistic director of Fontana Arte.
In 2012 Ponti’s heirs and the Gio Ponti Archive established a partnership with the Molteni Group to produce Gio Ponti Objects.
The Gio Ponti Archives continue to be helmed and curated by Ponti’s grandson Salvatore Licitra, a contemporary art photographer.