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100 years of Achille Castiglioni

News | 19.11.2018

Born in Milan on February 16 1918, Achille Castiglioni started work as an architect and designer with his brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo in 1938.

One of the great masters of Italian design, Achille was a founding member of ADI in the fifties. He has contributed with 290 projects in industrial production, 480 in installation, 191 in architecture, but above all he has won a remarkable number of Compassi d'Oro, having won 8, as well as 16 mentions and 1 Compasso d'Oro Lifetime Achievement, alongside numerous other international awards.

"Design shouldn’t be trendy. Good design should last over time, until it wears out." A. Castiglioni

His activity as a designer is an unmistakable blend of simplicity, irony and fun coupled with his close interest in the way objects are used, the potential offered by technology, and use of new materials. The elegance and purity of the shapes have made its objects so iconic that they are considered true works of art.

Many of his creations are housed in the permanent collections of the most important museums in the world (i,e, MoMa in New York or the Triennale di Milano). In 1965 Achille and Pier Giacomo designed rr226 for Brionvega, which is still considered one of the most beautiful pieces in the history of Italian design. He died in 2002.

Half a century of uniqueness, told by a smile that was born on the first day. The Radiofonografo is a superb work of modern industrial design, thanks to both its incomparable style and sound. Exuding retro charm, along with incredible sonic definition and the ability to orient and move the sound modules to best suit the surrounding environment, this system creates a listening experience both stimulating and intriguing.

Today, the radiofonografo rr226 is re-born: with only the radio and turntable like the original of the 1965. A deserved tribute to one of the most iconic and desired objects of Italian industrial design. With its unique style and sound, this wonderful product is desired by collectors, musicians and famous artists all over the world, to be part of their personal and private collections.

Thanks to the Aux connection, also, you can match any device, to play your favorite music without any limitations! This feature creates an ideal and complete sensory listening experience. Radiofonogrado rr226, continues to surprise and please, thanks to the materials provided by the original design. This unit continues to be made in Italy and is available in white with inserts in tobacco or orange.

On 16 February, Achille Castiglioni would have turned 100 to celebrate the centenary of his birth -100 numbered Radiofonogrado rr226 were comissioned. Always handmade - one by one, with an added value: the tribute to an extraordinary person that - together with his brothers - has contributed to creating a culture and a method in industrial design, as well as Italy's supremacy in this field.