April 2120 Folding Chair Zanotta

Gae Aulenti

Gae Aulenti was an outstanding Italian architect and designer, known for transforming historical spaces into modern cultural facilities. She graduated from the Milan University of Technology in 1954 as one of two women in her group. In the 1950s, she worked as the artistic director of the "Casabella" magazine, where she supported the movement of Neo Liberty, promoting individuality and tradition in opposition to modernism. Her most famous project is the adaptation of the Parisian Gare D'Orsay station on Musée d'Orsay, completed in 1986. Keeping the original elements of Beaux-Arts architecture, she introduced modern structures, creating a space for impressionist art. Other significant projects are the reconstruction of Palazzo Grassi in Venice, the interior of the Pompidou Center in Paris and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.