gaetano pesce, visionary italian architect and designer, passes away at 84

GAETANO PESCE (1939 – 2024)

Visionary Italian designer and architect Gaetano Pesce has passed away at the age of 84. The news was confirmed by an Instagram post uploaded on his studio’s page. ‘It is with a heavy heart we announce the passing of visionary creator Gaetano Pesce,’ the post reads. ‘Over the course of six decades Gaetano revolutionized the worlds of art, design, architecture and the liminal spaces between these categories. His originality and nerve are matched by none.
Despite dealing with health related set backs, especially in the last year, Gaetano remained positive, playful and ever curious. He is survived by his children, family, and all who adored him. His uniqueness, creativity and special message live on through his art. Ciao Gaetano!’

image © designboom

Gaetano Pesce’s professional and academic journey

Born in La Spezia, Italy, in 1939, Gaetano Pesce (find more here) pursued architecture at the University of Venice from 1958 to 1963 and was actively involved in Gruppo N, a collective inspired by the principles of the Bauhaus movement. He served as a professor of architecture for 28 years at the Institut d’Architecture et d’Etudes Urbaines in Strasbourg, France, as well as at institutions such as Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, the Domus Academy in Milan, the Polytechnic of Hong Kong, the Architectural School of Sao Paulo, and the Cooper Union in New York City, where he has resided since 1980 following stints in Venice, London, Helsinki, and Paris.

Over four decades, Gaetano Pesce engaged in a diverse array of projects spanning architecture, urban planning, interior, exhibition, and industrial design across the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Throughout his extensive career, Pesce has championed the notion that modernism transcends mere stylistic conventions, instead embodying a method for interpreting the contemporary world while preserving and celebrating individuality.

In an interview with designboom, when asked what his strongest skill is, Gaetano Pesce said,‘I think if you are curious, it’s a very important quality. Curiosity is a spring for going on in history, in the future, and in the present. Curiosity pushes mentality, which pushes ideas to be discovered. Even now, I am very curious. When there is something I don’t understand, I try to understand. That is a very healthy attitude for a creative person.’

Organic building in Osaka, Japan (1989-93) | image courtesy of Gaetano Pesce

Exploring Pesce’s Legacy

Starting in 1962, Pesce’s career as an industrial designer led him to create iconic pieces for renowned industry giants like B&B Italia, Vitra, and Cassina. Among his notable designs is the Up armchair, crafted for B&B Italia, which remains instantly recognizable. Recent emblematic works include his vivid resin-dipped Come Stai? chairs and his cavernous installation created for Bottega Veneta, as well as his exhibition Again in Miami With Multidisciplinary Works for Miami Art Week 2023.

Pesce’s work is prominently featured in over 30 esteemed museum collections worldwide, including the MoMA and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Pompidou Center and Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Additionally, his art is showcased in galleries across the globe. His groundbreaking designs have garnered numerous accolades, including the prestigious Chrysler Award for Innovation and Design in 1993, the Architektur and Wohnen Designer of the Year in 2006, and the Lawrence J. Israel Prize from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in 2009. In 2023, Pesce was also announced as the Andrée Putman Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.

original UP chair | image courtesy of Gaetano Pesce