Ignazio Gardella

IGNAZIO GARDELLA (Milan, 1905 – Oleggio, 1999)
Work table or desk, circa 1950.
Walnut, brass, and glass.
Provenance: private residence in the Brianza region, Italy.
Model reproduced in: Roberto Aloi, "Examples of Modern Furniture from Around the World: Tables, Coffee Tables, and Carts, Milan," Ulrico Hoepli, 1950, p. 82
In good condition, with slight signs of use and age-related oxidation on the brass elements.
Measurements: 74 x 180 x 90 cm.

This work table is a outstanding example of Ignazio Gardella’s ability to translate the principles of structural clarity, balance, and constructive precision—characteristic of his architecture—into furniture design. The piece is structured around two walnut supports with open, easel-shaped legs, joined by a long central crossbar. Resting on this structure is a large glass surface, which appears to be suspended, allowing one to view the structural system beneath it.

The transparency of the tabletop reveals a series of hanging drawers, incorporated using brass guides and hardware. These metal components—including the characteristic hexagonal-profile connectors—serve a technical function while also creating a refined contrast with the warmth of the walnut. Gardella does not conceal the furniture’s inner workings but rather makes its joints and mechanisms an essential part of its aesthetic expression.

The design combines visual lightness with architectural rigor. The spread of the legs, the continuity of the crossbar, and the horizontal arrangement of the drawers create a stable and proportionate composition, while the glass reduces the sense of weight and underscores the rationality of the whole. The piece is executed with an elegance that transcends the desk’s strictly utilitarian nature.

The model was reproduced in 1950 in a major volume edited by Roberto Aloi, which compiled the most cutting-edge furniture of the era. This reference provides valuable documentary support for the design and allows it to be situated within the research conducted by Gardella during the years when postwar Italian Modernism was taking shape.

Ignazio Gardella was one of the leading Italian architects and designers of the 20th century. Trained as an engineer at the Polytechnic University of Milan and later as an architect in Venice, he is the creator of renowned projects such as the Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea in Milan and the Casa alle Zattere in Venice.

In 1947, together with Luigi Caccia Dominioni and Corrado Corradi Dell’Acqua, he founded the firm Azucena, one of the first Italian companies dedicated to producing modern furniture designed by architects. His designs are characterized by formal purity, rigorous proportions, and meticulous attention to materials and construction details. In 1996, he received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Architecture Biennale.