Achille Castiglioni

Italian, 1918-2002

Milanese designer and architect Achille Castiglioni sought to inject personality into all of his work, and found deep inspiration in everyday objects. A legend of Italian mid-century modernism, he created iconic, universally loved table lamps, chairs and other lighting and furniture with his likeminded brothers during the postwar years.

There was the Snoopy lamp, which brings to mind the unmistakable Peanuts character, while the shape of a common street lamp inspired the design behind the Arco floor lamp. Elsewhere, the Toio floor lamp — a provocative fixture in any living room — was made with automotive parts as well as run-of-the-mill recreational gear.

Castiglioni studied the classics at Liceo Classico Giuseppe Parini, art at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera and finally architecture and design at the Polytechnic University of Milan. After graduating in 1944, Castiglioni began working with his brothers Pier Giacomo and Livio at the studio they cofounded with classmate Luigi Caccia Dominioni.

Livio left to pursue lighting design and sound technology, leaving Achille and Pier Giacomo to continue to collaborate on various projects. One such design was the iconic Taraxacum hanging lamp for FLOS which featured a resin “cocoon” created with sprayed plastic polymers that protects its steel core and allows for the diffusion of light.

Castiglioni won Italy’s highest award for industrial design — the Compasso d’Oro — seven times, and the Museum of Modern Art was home to his first individual retrospective in the United States. Castiglioni later taught at the Polytechnic University of Turin and at Polytechnic in Milan.

Castiglioni’s designs remain timeless. Some of them can be found in Tokyo’s Living Design Center Ozone, the Triennale di Milano and the Hangaram Art Museum at the Seoul Arts Center.

Find vintage Achille Castiglioni lighting, seating, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.

Average Sold Price

$2,328

Styles

Materials

Related Creators

Iconic Designs from Achille Castiglioni

Explore timeless pieces that have earned their place in history.

Arco Lamp

Snoopy Lamp

Castiglioni Toio Floor Lamp

Stylos Floor Lamp

Achille Castiglioni Large Mid-Century Beige Flower "Cocoon" Pendant, Italy 1960s

$4,214

H 63 in Dm 21.66 in

Achille Castiglioni Large Mid-Century Beige Flower "Cocoon" Pendant, Italy 1960s

By Achille Castiglioni

Located in Roma, IT

Marvelous and unique large Mid-Century bell-flower shaped cocoon pendant in resin and brass. This gorgeous ceiling lamp was designed by Achille Castiglioni and produced in Italy duri...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Achille Castiglioni

Materials

Metal, Steel, Brass

Alvise Floor Lamp by Massoni for Guzzini – Carrara Marble, Italian Minimalism

$8,950

H 60.24 in W 18.12 in D 20.48 in

Alvise Floor Lamp by Massoni for Guzzini – Carrara Marble, Italian Minimalism

By Achille Castiglioni, Harvey Guzzini, Guzzini, Luigi Massoni

Located in Dronten, NL

Few designs capture the quiet power of Italian postwar lighting like the Alvise floor lamp. Designed by Luigi Massoni for Guzzini, this piece balances industrial precision with refin...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Achille Castiglioni

Materials

Carrara Marble, Steel

Interiors For Today

$275

H 11.75 in W 9 in D 1 in

Interiors For Today

By Achille Castiglioni, Artemide

Located in New York, NY

First American edition of a survey of contemporary Italian interiors, published in 1975 by Studio Vista/Whitney Library of Design following its original publication in Italy in 1974. Edited by Franco Magnani and translated into English by Bobbi Mitchell. 4to (8.75” x 11.5”), hardcover with dust jacket, 156 pages, profusely illustrated with color reproductions. Showcases a range of interiors by Italian interior designers and architects, many lesser-known, including: De Rossi Coretti studio, Guido Veneziani, Puccinelli, Fabrizio Cocchia and Gianfranco Fini, Enrico Buzzi, Luigi Massoni, Piero Castellini...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Achille Castiglioni

Materials

Paper

Model Moni' 1190-1200 Ceiling Lamp by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, 1960s, Italy

$1,685 / item

H 5.91 in Dm 13.39 in

Model Moni' 1190-1200 Ceiling Lamp by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, 1960s, Italy

By Flos, Achille Castiglioni

Located in Hagenbach, DE

Model Moni' 1190 - 1200 ceiling lamp by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, 1960s, Italy Lampshade is in very good vintage condition. This lamp works with E14 light bulbs. Wired and sui...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Achille Castiglioni

Materials

Metal, Enamel

Mid-century cocoon pendant lamp, Achille Castiglioni, Italy 1960s

$2,856

H 11.82 in Dm 15.75 in

Mid-century cocoon pendant lamp, Achille Castiglioni, Italy 1960s

By Achille Castiglioni

Located in Miklavž Pri Taboru, SI

Rare Cocoon pendant lamp with Teak made in Italy in the 1960s. The key feature of this iconic hanging lamp by architect Achille Castiglioni is the new material used to make it. The f...

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Achille Castiglioni

Materials

Plastic

Italian Frisbi 850 Pendant Lamp by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, 1970s

$1,170 / item

H 39.38 in Dm 23.63 in

Italian Frisbi 850 Pendant Lamp by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, 1970s

By Achille Castiglioni, Flos

Located in Hagenbach, DE

The Frisbi 850 pendant lamp, designed by the renowned Italian designer Achille Castiglioni for Flos in the 1970s, is a striking example of minimalist elegance and innovative lighting...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Achille Castiglioni

Materials

Metal

Velella Flush Mount or Wall Lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos

$1,521 / item

H 7.88 in Dm 16.93 in

Velella Flush Mount or Wall Lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos

By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos, Achille Castiglioni

Located in Milano, IT

The Velella lamp, designed by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos in 1967, is an iconic example of Italian mid-century lighting design. Its distinctive circular silhouette, c...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Achille Castiglioni

Materials

Metal

'Viscontea' Pendant by Achille & Pier Castiglionni

$8,156

H 18.12 in Dm 25.6 in

'Viscontea' Pendant by Achille & Pier Castiglionni

By Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos, Achille Castiglioni

Located in Brussels, BE

Cocoon pendant called 'Viscontea' by Achille and Pier Castiglionni for Flos 1960's first edition. Very warm light diffuser. Nice sculptural shape

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Achille Castiglioni

Materials

Resin

Browse all Furniture from Achille Castiglioni

Shop Now

Achille Castiglioni Sale Prices

Sold Date

Sold Price

Category

Material

Creation Year

2026	$895	More Lighting, Floor Lamps	Steel, Chrome	Mid-20th Century
2026	$4,000	Wall Lights and Sconces	Steel, Glass, Blown Glass	circa 1970s
2026	$666	More Lighting, Table Lamps	Plastic, Metal, Resin	1960s
2026	$1,100	More Lighting, Table Lamps	Metal, Oak, Resin, Brass	1960s
2026	$1,005	Chandeliers and Pendants	Resin	1960
2026	$1,397	Flush Mount	Metal, Glass	1970s
2026	$1,092	Wall Lights and Sconces	Aluminum, Glass	ca. 1970s
2026	$15,000	Musical Instruments	Metal, Wood	1960s
2026	$1,800	Table Lamps	Metal, Pine, Wood, Resin	Circa 1978
2026	$400	Chandeliers and Pendants	Metal	1960s
2026	$960	Table Lamps	Chrome, Marble	circa 1960s
2026	$5,799	Industrial and Work Tables	Wood	1968
2026	$1,300	Chandeliers and Pendants	Resin	1960
2026	$3,182	Desks and Writing Tables	Wood	1970s
2025	$2,300	Wall Lights and Sconces, Flush Mount	Brass, Opaline Glass	circa 1960s
2025	$569	Chandeliers and Pendants	Steel, Plastic	Contemporary
2025	$1,100	Chandeliers and Pendants	Resin	circa 1960
2025	$150	Table Lamps	Aluminum	2000
2025	$1,746	Table Lamps	Metal, Rattan, Resin, Wood, Pine	Circa 1974
2025	$535	Table Lamps	Metal	1983

$2,328

Average sold price of items in the past 12 months

$150-$15,000

Sold price range of items in the past 12 months

Creators Similar to Achille Castiglioni

Harvey Guzzini

Shop All Harvey Guzzini

Guzzini

Shop All Guzzini

Angelo Brotto

Shop All Angelo Brotto

Nemo Lighting

Shop All Nemo Lighting

Sciolari Lighting

Shop All Sciolari Lighting

La Murrina

Shop All La Murrina

Paolo Venini

Shop All Paolo Venini

Tommaso Barbi

Shop All Tommaso Barbi

VeArt

Shop All VeArt

More Achille Castiglioni Designs

Arco Lamp

Average Price

$5,049

Number Available

Arco Lamp

By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Achille Castiglioni, Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos

Materials

Metal, Marble, Stone, Steel, Aluminum

Styles

Mid Century Modern

It was a humble street light that inspired Achille Castiglioni (1918–2002) and his brother Pier Giacomo Castiglioni (1913–68) to design their Arco lamp. The two men, along with their eldest brother, Livio, were the sons of prominent Milanese sculptor Giannino Castiglioni, and all became trained architects. Achille graduated from the acclaimed Polytechnic University of Milan in 1944 and joined Pier Giacomo and Livio in the design studio they'd opened with Luigi Caccia Dominioni. With large arc...

Shop All

Snoopy Lamp

Average Price

$1,345

Number Available

Snoopy Lamp

By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Achille Castiglioni, Pier Giacomo Castiglioni

Materials

Metal, Marble, Organic Material, Resin, Stone

Styles

Mid Century Modern

With an oblong black head that sits atop a tilting white marble base, the Snoopy lamp’s shape playfully brings to mind the snout of the canine main character in Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts comic strip. The design, one of many innovative collaborations by the Italian brothers Achille (1918–2002) and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni (1913–68), was introduced in 1967.After graduating from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1944, Achille joined the urban planning, architecture and industrial design s...

Shop All

Castiglioni Toio Floor Lamp

Average Price

$2,417

Number Available

Castiglioni Toio Floor Lamp

By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Achille Castiglioni, Pier Giacomo Castiglioni

Materials

Metal, Steel

Styles

Modern

The idea of the readymade didn’t just upend the art world, it also provoked a wave of invention in design. This provocative spirit is alive and well in the Toio floor lamp, which sees an integration of automotive parts as well as everyday recreational gear. Along with their eldest brother, Livio, Pier Giacomo (1913–68) and Achille (1918–2002) Castiglioni were born in Milan and for a time, the three worked together in their own firm as architects and designers. While Livio departed the practic...

Shop All

Stylos Floor Lamp

Average Price

$1,164

Number Available

Stylos Floor Lamp

By Achille Castiglioni

Materials

Plastic, Acrylic, Metal, Steel

Styles

Modern, Post Modern

Shop All

Achille Castiglioni furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Achille Castiglioni furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Achille Castiglioni furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 120 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 75 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Achille Castiglioni were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Angelo Brotto, and Tommaso Barbi. Prices for Achille Castiglioni furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $90 and can go as high as $27,507, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,950.

Questions About Achille Castiglioni

What is Achille Castiglioni famous for?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertJanuary 10, 2025
Achille Castiglioni is famous for his work as a designer and architect. The Milanese designer sought to inject personality into all of his work and found deep inspiration in everyday objects. A legend of Italian mid-century modernism, he created iconic, universally loved table lamps, chairs and other lighting and furniture with his like-minded brothers during the postwar years. Some of his most well-known pieces include the Arco lamp, the Snoopy lamp and the Taraxacum hanging lamp. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Achille Castiglioni furniture.