CENTO3 writing instruments: achille castiglioni's last project brought to life by EGO.M

achille castiglioni + gianfranco cavaglià’s writing instruments

the writing instruments designed in 2001 by architects achille castiglioni and gianfranco cavaglià are brought to life 20 years later under the name CENTO3. engineered, produced and distributed by young italian design studio EGO.M, the 3D printed instruments include a mechanical pencil, a multifunctional art pencil, and a fountain pen in pocket version. the wooden prototypes of this unpublished project were discovered by his children, giovanna and carlo castiglioni, in their father’s studio in milan. hidden behind a big angular mirror in the headquarters of the fondazione achille castiglioni, the prototypes were the last of his career, co-signed with architect gianfranco cavaglià.

created by expert cabinetmaker pierluigi ghianda, the prototypes replicate the trilobate arched shape studied by castiglioni and cavaglià that, thanks to its distinctive ergonomic quality, represents the true alliance between mind, hand, and object, as well as having the particularity of not rolling on a table. ‘this aspect seemed of some interest to us,’ recalls cavaglià.

all images by EGO.M

A PROJECT REALIZED 20 YEARS LATER BY EGO.M

the project was left in a drawer for many years, as it had not yet found the indispensable and precise interpretation of the original design goals, as well as the investments required for the complex production of such an unusual chosen shape. it wasn’t until 2020, when fondazione achille castiglioni and gianfranco cavaglià met EGO.M, that the two parties decided to entrust the development, engineering, and production of the project to the young italian design studio. respectfully aware of their responsibility, having ascertained the basics of the project, its ethos, and its original intentions from cavaglià during a year of collaborative work, EGO.M focused on the realization of the instruments. among the wooden prototypes, three were selected for production: a mechanical pencil, a multifunctional art pencil, and a fountain pen in pocket version. the mechanical pencil represents the technical drawing, the multifunctional art pencil is practical, handy, and appropriate for many uses, and the fountain pen has been deliberately chosen in a pocket version to be more contemporary, unconventional, and closer to the younger generations.

CENTO3 (103, hundred3) was first revealed on the date of achille castiglioni’s 103rd birthday: february 16, 2021. castiglioni said that ‘even naming objects is an act of design’, and as a result, the title for this collection was also a matter of study and research. the number 3 represents: the designed objects and their respective writing typologies; the production technology (3D printing); the project’s partners – ego.m, fondazione achille castiglioni, gianfranco cavaglià; the involved generations; the fingers that hold the writing instrument; the arches of the trilobate shape.

CENTO3 PRODUCTION: 3D printing and graphene

fused deposition modeling, a three-dimensional (3D) printing technique, has been selected for production due to versatility which enables it to produce that unique shape. EGO.M focused its research on finding a material innovative for the writing world that could also interpret the fundamentals of the project. the choice of graphene was made due to its natural features and finish, its mechanical properties, and its color. graphene is composed of a monoatomic layer of carbon and graphite, made of a carbon layering, so it seemed appealing to finalize the writing concept by employing the writing itself as the principal material: a pencil made of pencil or, better, made of graphene.

the three writing instruments of the CENTO3 collection