Gianfranco Frattini, Italian architect and designer, was born in Padua on 15 May 1926. After the degree in Architecture from Milan Polytechnic, he joined Gio Ponti’s studio, and thanks to this he began working with Cesare Cassina, who would always remain an important figurehead for him. He opened his own design studio in Milan, which led him to work with numerous companies in the field of furniture and lighting design. Wood was without doubt Frattini’s preferred material, especially after he met the cabinet maker Pierluigi Ghianda, that bring him to work at close quarters with craftsmen, always attentive to the quality of manufacturing. In 1956 he was one of the founders of ADI and was involved in the management of the Triennale di Milano on several occasions. His work was referenced at the Compasso d’Oro awards numerous times, and he was also a winner of the Triennale di Milano Medaglie and Gran Premio awards. Some of his interior designs, another professional field in which Frattini has left a significant legacy, formed the backdrop for several of Milan’s trendiest social venues in the early 1960s, particularly the Stork Club and the St. Andrews restaurant. Gianfranco Frattini died in Milan on 6 April 2004.
His products are displayed in the permanent collections of the biggest design and decorative art museums in the world.
