Design Mastermind
Renowned Italian Architect and designer Antonio Citterio has collaborated with Vitra since 1988 and continues to expand his collection to this day
His contributions are regularly being expanded by improving the designs he created
For the Italian-born creative genius Antonio Citterio, whose portfolio spans prestigious projects in the global design scene, one of his most enduring collaborations throughout his profession is with Vitra, a family-owned Swiss furniture manufacturer that he has been working with since 1988. It started when Vitra’s owner, Rolf Fehlbaum, approached Citterio to design a sofa. Together, they produced a series of office chairs and various office systems, as well as products for the Vitra Home Collection. Citterio’s contributions to the brand regularly expand, not by designing brand-new collections yearly but by improving the designs he created. A classic example is the Ad Hoc office system, which was first introduced in 1994 and updated in 2010, with, according to Citterio, “the same mechanical design but with a completely different tone.”
The design guru also draws inspiration from his projects in land-scarce cities such as Singapore and Hong Kong, which stirred the idea of creating products that radiate what he identifies as “compact luxury.” This includes the Grand Relax, a collection of reclining lounge chairs, the swivel lounge chairs Repos and Grand Repos, and the Suita sofa, which now comes in compact proportions.