Estantería Lungan de madera de Achille Castiglioni para Hille

Brothers Livio (1911-1979), Pier Giacomo (1913-1968), and Achille (1918-2002) Castiglioni were born in Milan and worked side-by-side as industrial designers and architects.

In 1938, shortly after graduating from the Polytechnic University of Milan, Pier Giacomo, along with his brother Livio, founded a small architecture firm in Milan. They worked together with architect Luigi Caccia Dominioni to design interiors, furniture, and other objects, such as the Caccia Cutlery Set (1938) and the Fimi-Phonola 547 Radio (1939). Achille joined his two older brothers in their design practice after graduating in 1944 with a degree in architecture from the Polytechnic University of Milan. In the early years, the Castiglioni studio derived its main income from exhibition design, but they also restored buildings destroyed by the war, such as the Palazzo Della Permanente in 1952. Livio left to start his own practice in 1952; today, he is best known for his Boalum Lamp for Artemide (1970/71)—a light featuring internally lit, flexible plastic tubing—which he co-designed with Gianfranco Frattini (1926-2004).

Working in the midst of the Italian design Renaissance of the 1950s and ’60s, both Achille and Pier Giacomo were dedicated to creating visually appealing, yet technically innovative designs. They played a vital role in the foundation of the Compasso d’Oro prize, for decades recognized as one of the world’s most prestigious industrial design awards. Achille was also head of Facoltà di Architettura at the Politecnico, where he influenced a generation of Italian designers. Their legacy is still felt today, as they are among the most celebrated designers of the 20^th century—especially among diehard design lovers. Their prolific output included many collaborations with major Italian manufacturers, such as Flos for lighting, Zanotta for furniture, and Alessi for home goods. Other prestigious clients include B&B Italia, Bernini, Brionvega, Danese, Gavina, Kartell, Knoll, Moroso, Poggi, and Siemens.

Both Achille and Pier Giacomo were keenly interested in experimenting with new materials and techniques for industrial production. One notable example is “cocoon skin,” a material composed of sprayed polymer plastic fibers that solidified into a flexible membrane; the brothers initially saw a this substance used by the US military, and soon after acquired the patent. The Castiglioni brothers used this resin applied over a steel structure to create the iconic, cocoon-like forms of their Viscontea Lamp (1960), Taraxacum Chandeliers (1960), and Gato Table Lights (1960) for Flos.

Additionally, the brothers were eager to find inspiration in the everyday, and, as such, they often worked with found objects and components. Standout pieces in this vein include the Mezzadro Seat (1954-7) and Sella Seat (1957), both eventually put into production by Zanotta, and the Arco Floor Lamp (1962) and Toio Floor Lamp (1962), both produced by Flos.

Pier Giacomo unfortunately died early in 1968; Achille continued to work on his own until his own death in 2002. Today, many of the brothers’ designs are on display at museums and galleries around the world, including the Vitra Design Museum in Germany, the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, and the MoMA in New York. In honor of their achievements and contributions, over the course of their careers, they collectively received nine Compasso d´Oro awards. Today, Castiglioni lighting is highlysought-after on the vintage market.  

Russian emigrant Salamon Hille founded his eponymous furniture company in 1906 in London's East End. In the first few decades, the company focused on reproducing and renovating 18^th-century antiques. With an emphasis on quality over quantity, Hille employed highly skilled craftsmen and acquired many well known furniture stores, such as Hamptons, as customers. By the 1930s, Hille had established itself internationally, selling products worldwide. In 1932, after Salamon retired, his daughter Ray took over the company.

During the Second World War, the company fell on hard times due to the timber shortage, followed by a string of tragedies, including the death of Salamon and the destruction of the Hille factory and stores. In the early 1940s, Hille began repairing furniture that had been destroyed in the war for the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. In 1945, Hille moved production to Lea Bridge Road in Leytonstone. While restrictions on furniture remained in place in postwar England, Hille was forced to focus on export market.

In 1949, Ray's son-in-law, Leslie Julius, convinced British designer Robin Day (1915-2010) to come design for Hille. Day and designer Clive Latimer had that year won first prize in the storage section of the Museum of Modern Art’sInternational Competition For Low-Cost Furniture. Though Day was never officially employed by Hille—preferring instead to remain a consultant—he effectively worked as the company's head of design for over two decades, during which he originated nearly all of Hille’s products, as well as letterheads, graphics, brochures, exhibition stands, and the Hille logo. Notable Hille designs by Day include the Hillestak Chair (1951), 675 Chair (1952), Stak Chair (1954), Gatwick Seating (1958), Polypropylene Stacking Chair (1963), and Forum Armchair (1964). Possibly his most well-known design, the low cost mass-produced Polypropylene Chair was made completely of polypropylene and won the Council of Industrial Design Award upon its debut. Since then, it's been widely used in offices, waiting rooms, airports, hospitals, schools, and homes around the world. Today, it is estimated that nearly 14 million copies have been sold.  

In the early 1950s, the factory moved twice, first to Hainault and again to an old brewery in Watford after the financial crisis of 1951. The company eventually recovered from the crisis, and in 1961, opened new offices. In 1972, Day’s Series E range was launched specifically for the education market and featured chairs of varying heights that would suit all ages. During the 1970s, Hille also found success with Fred Scott’s folding chair (1974) and the Supporto Office Chair (1974), which is still in production today.

In 1983, the company was sold, but the new ownership continued to work with Day, producing classics such as the Toro Bench (1990) and Woodro Bench (1991), both of which can still be seen in London’s Underground and Overground stations today. Hille continues to manufacture original designs by Day, as well as new designs, such as the SE Ergonomic Chair, which is a collaboration with designers Richard Snell and David Rowe, Birmingham City University, Hille, and BKF Plastics.