Gio Ponti 'Parco dei Principi' Coffee Table

Gio Ponti for Parco dei Principi Hotel in Rome, produced by Cassina, coffee table, green marble, anodised aluminum, Italy, 1961-1964

The provenance of this coffee table is notably intriguing, as it originates from the Parco dei Principi Hotel in Rome. The hotel was designed by the Studio PFR (1952-1976) – Gio Ponti, Antonio Fornaroli and Alberto Rosselli – together with Emanuele Ponzi. The construction of the hotel spanned from 1961 to 1964, situated on the edge of the Villa Borghese Park. In this project, Ponti, who had a passion for ceramics, dedicated himself once again to this medium, employing a captivating combination of white, green, and black. This coffee table is designed by Gio Ponti and features a circular green marble top. Its framework is made from anodised aluminum, featuring four rounded feet with a cross-shaped support, ensuring both stability and aesthetic appeal.

Giovanni (Gio) Ponti (1891 – 1979) is one of the most influential Italian designers of the twentieth century. His contribution to architecture, furniture design and the arts has been substantial. Born in Milan in 1891, he attended the Polytechnic University of Milan, where he graduated in Architecture in 1921 after serving the military during WWI. He opened his first studio in 1927 in Milan with architect Emilio Lancia. Soon after, he founded Domus magazine in 1928 with Gianni Mazzocchi, which became one of the most prominent European magazines in architecture and design. Ponti participated during the Triennale exhibitions of the 1930's, and later he became a member of the Triennial committee. A significant shift can be distinguished in his designs between the two World Wars. During the early years, Ponti's style positioned between rationalism and Lombard Classicism that came forward in his use of decorative elements in his furniture and objects. Functionality and a pragmatic approach started to play a bigger role in his later designs. His work as a designer fully took off after WWII, and he became an important figure in Italian industrial aesthetics that conquered the international markets in the 1950s. Gio Ponti worked together with many designers, such as Antonio Fornaroli and Alberto Rosselli, and his work has been of great inspiration for even more. A few amongst Ponti's followers are Paolo Buffa, Paco Muñoz and Lina Bo Bardi, as with the latter Ponti worked together on a series of projects during the early period of Bo Bardi's career.

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