The Italian architect and designer Gae Aulenti will forever be best remembered for her work with museums, in particular her 1980–86 renovation of a Beaux Arts Paris train station to create the galleries of the Musée d’Orsay. Aulenti — whose first name, short for Gaetana, is pronounced “guy” — should also be recalled for her tough intellectual spirit and for working steadily when few women found successful architectural careers in postwar Italy.
After she graduated from the Milan Polytechic in 1954, Aulenti opened an architectural office. She also joined the staff of the progressive architectural magazine Casabella, whose editorial line was that the establishment, orthodox modernism of Le Corbusier and the Bauhaus, had outlived it usefulness. When their movement for fresh approaches to architecture and design received a sympathetic hearing, Aulenti found patrons — most prominently Gianni Agnelli, of Fiat, who later employed her to renovate the Palazzo Grassi in Venice for use as an arts exhibition space.
Commissions for showrooms and other corporate spaces brought Aulenti to furniture design. She felt that furniture should never dominate a room. Her chairs and sofas — low-slung, with rounded enameled metal frames and ample seats — and tables, particularly her 1972 marble Jumbo coffee table for Knoll, project solidity and sturdiness. In lighting design, however, Aulenti is bravura.
Each work has a marvelous sculptural presence. Pieces such as her Pipistrello table lamp and Quadrifoglio pendant are a perfect marriage of organically shaped glass and high-tech fixtures. Others have a futuristic elegance — and some even have a touch of personality. Aulenti’s Pileino and La Ruspa table lamps each look almost like little robots. Her lighting pieces are an artful grace note in the career of a woman who believed in strength.
Find vintage Gae Aulenti armchairs, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' Sconce in Coffee for Stilnovo
By Stilnovo, Gae Aulenti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' sconce in coffee for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Midc...
Metal
Italian wall lamp by Gae Aulenti for Vetreria Vistosi, 1970s, Murano glass
By Gae Aulenti
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Wall lamp designed by Italian designer Gae Aulenti for Vetreria Vistosi, dating from the 1970s. It features a black lacquered metal mount and a green and clear Murano glass diffuser....
Metal
Mid-Century Spot Lamp in Chrome by Gae Aulenti for Stilnovo, Italy 1970s
By Stilnovo, Gae Aulenti, Livio Castiglioni
Located in Roma, IT
Iconic adjustable spot lamp in the largest variant fully made in chrome and steel designed by Gae Aulenti and Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo in the 1970s. This versatile wall or cei...
Metal, Chrome
Pair of wall lamps by Gae Aulenti & Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo, 1970s
By Stilnovo, Gae Aulenti, Livio Castiglioni
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Pair of swiveling wall spots in chromed metal with silver coloured reflectors designed by Gae Aulenti and Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo in the 1970s. As described in a catalogue by...
Metal
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' Sconce in Black for Stilnovo
By Stilnovo, Gae Aulenti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' sconce in black for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Midce...
Metal
Set of brass wall lamps by Gae Aulenti & Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo, 1970s
By Gae Aulenti, Stilnovo, Livio Castiglioni
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Set of nine brass swiveling spots designed by Gae Aulenti and Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo in the 1970s. The spots can be used as wall lamps and as ceiling lamps. The spots or pro...
Metal
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' Sconce in Red for Stilnovo
By Stilnovo, Gae Aulenti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' sconce in red for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Midcent...
Metal
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' Sconce in Green for Stilnovo
By Stilnovo, Gae Aulenti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' sconce in green for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Midce...
Metal
Piero Castiglioni and Gae Aulenti for Stilnovo Pair of Black Lamps "Minibox"
By Stilnovo, Gae Aulenti
Located in Naples, IT
Pair of wall sconces Mod. Minibox by Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni for the firm Stilnovo. They feature a black-colored metal body and a "glowing eye" that can be swiveled by mean...
Metal
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' Sconce in White for Stilnovo
By Stilnovo, Gae Aulenti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' sconce in white for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the Midce...
Metal
$696 / item
H 7.4 in W 1.8 in D 7.7 in
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' Table Lamp in Gold for Stilnovo
By Stilnovo, Gae Aulenti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' table lamp in gold for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during th...
Metal
$696 / item
H 7.4 in W 1.8 in D 7.7 in
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' Table Lamp in White for Stilnovo
By Stilnovo, Gae Aulenti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' table lamp in white for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during...
Metal
$1,515
H 7.88 in W 3.94 in D 7.49 in
Minibox Table Lamp by Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni for Stilnovo, Italy, 1980s
By Gae Aulenti, Stilnovo
Located in Milano, IT
The 'Minibox' table lamp, conceived by Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni in the 1980s, is a whimsical reinterpretation of a miner's 'torch.' Featuring a magnetic attachment, the refl...
Metal
$5,617Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 20.48 in W 19.69 in D 6.7 in
Pair of Gae Aulenti & Livio Castiglioni Trepiù Table Lamps for Stilnovo, 1972
By Gae Aulenti, Livio Castiglioni, Stilnovo
Located in Milan, IT
Rare pair of Gae Aulenti & Livio Castiglioni 'Sistema Trepiù' table lamps for Stilnovo, Italy, 1972. Signed Stilnovo.
Aluminum, Chrome, Iron
$696 / item
H 7.4 in W 1.8 in D 7.7 in
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' Table Lamp in Black for Stilnovo
By Gae Aulenti, Stilnovo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' table lamp in black for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the M...
Metal
$696 / item
H 7.4 in W 1.8 in D 7.7 in
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' Table Lamp in Green for Stilnovo
By Gae Aulenti, Stilnovo
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Gae Aulenti & Piero Castiglioni 'Minibox' table lamp in green for Stilnovo Founded in 1946 in Milan, Stilnovo was one of the most innovative lighting companies in Italy during the M...
Metal
$3,276
H 64.57 in Dm 20.08 in
Floor Lamp "Quadrifoglio" by Gae Aulenti for Harvey Guzzini, Italy 1970s
By Gae Aulenti, Harvey Guzzini
Located in Rome, IT
Midcentury amazing floor lamp "quadrifoglio" in chrome steel and white acrylic by Gae Aulenti for Harvey Guzzini. Made in Italy in the 1970s. Polished chrome circular base and four...
Metal, Steel, Chrome, Aluminum
$2,680
H 35.44 in Dm 13.78 in
Italian Green "Neverrino" Pendant Light by Gae Aulenti for Vistosi, 1970s
By Vistosi, Gae Aulenti
Located in Morazzone, Varese
Italian Green "Neverrino" Pendant Light by Gae Aulenti for Vistosi, 1970s Gorgeous "Neverrino" Glass Pendant Lamp in stunning green color, designed by Gae Aulenti for Vistosi, Italy...
Murano Glass
$3,438
H 14.57 in Dm 11.82 in
Neverino Murano Glass Pendant Lamp by Gae Aulenti for Vistosi Italy 1970s
By Gae Aulenti, Vistosi
Located in Berlin, DE
Neverino Murano Glass Pendant Lamp by Gae Aulenti for Vistosi, suspended from a black cord with ceiling cap. The hand-blown glass has a dense millefiori-style pattern in blue, grey, ...
Murano Glass
Gae Aulenti for Vistosi 1970s 'Neverino' Murano Glass Table Lamp
By Gae Aulenti, Vistosi
Located in New York, NY
Designed by Gae Aulenti for Vistosi of Italy table lamp known as the Neverrino' series. The shade is hand blown clear with blue murrine (small flower) glass. It rests upon a black en...
Murano Glass
$1,736 / item
H 8.67 in Dm 12.6 in
Chrome pendant by Gae Aulenti and Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo, 1970s
By Stilnovo, Gae Aulenti, Livio Castiglioni
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Chrome pendant No. 6505 designed by Gae Aulenti and Livio Castiglioni and produced by Stilnovo Milano in the 1970s. The condition of this pendant is...
Metal
Vistosi “Neverino” Murano Glass Pendant — Gae Aulenti, Italy, 1970
By Gae Aulenti
Located in Dronten, NL
An elegant and distinctive Neverino pendant designed by Gae Aulenti for Vistosi, showcasing the expressive possibilities of Murano glass within a modernist framework. The design is d...
Steel
"Parola" wall lamp, Gae Aulenti, Piero Castiglioni, Fontana Arte, 1981
By Gae Aulenti, Fontana Arte
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Parola wall lamp, mod. 2689 with adjustable opaline blown glass diffuser and satin-finish brass frame, designed by Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni for Fontana Arte. Year 1981. Avai...
Brass
Pair of wall lamps by Gae Aulenti and Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo, 1970s
By Gae Aulenti, Stilnovo, Livio Castiglioni
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Pair of swiveling spots made of chromed metal designed by Gae Aulenti and Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo in the 1970s. The spots are fitted with a double rotation movement, allowing...
Metal
Sold
H 12.6 in W 10.24 in D 6.7 in
Pair of wall lamps by Gae Aulenti & Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo, 1970s
By Gae Aulenti, Stilnovo, Livio Castiglioni
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Pair of swiveling wall spots in chromed metal with silver coloured reflectors designed by Gae Aulenti and Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo in the 1970s. As described in a catalogue by...
Metal
Sold
H 12.6 in W 10.24 in D 6.7 in
Set of four wall lamps by Gae Aulenti & Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo, 1970s
By Gae Aulenti, Stilnovo, Livio Castiglioni
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Set of four swiveling wall spots in chromed metal with silver coloured reflectors designed by Gae Aulenti and Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo in the 1970s. As described in a catalogu...
Metal
Piero Castiglioni and Gae Aulenti for Stilnovo Lamp Rossa "Minibox," Italy
By Stilnovo, Gae Aulenti
Located in Naples, IT
Wall sconce Mod. Minibox by Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni for the firm Stilnovo. It features a red-colored metal body and a "glowing eye" that can be swiveled by a magnetic attac...
Metal
Sold
H 7.88 in Dm 6.7 in
Pair of silver wall lamps by Gae Aulenti & Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo, 1970s
By Gae Aulenti, Stilnovo, Livio Castiglioni
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Pair of swiveling spots made of chromed metal designed by Gae Aulenti and Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo in the 1970s. The spots can also be used as ceiling lamps. The spots or proj...
Metal, Aluminum
Piero Castiglioni and Gae Aulenti for Stilnovo Pair of White Lamps "Minibox"
By Stilnovo, Gae Aulenti
Located in Naples, IT
Pair of wall sconces Mod. Minibox by Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni for the firm Stilnovo. They feature a white-colored metal body and a "glowing eye" that can be swiveled by a ma...
Metal
Sold
H 13.39 in W 7.88 in D 7.49 in
Pair of Wall Sconces 2689 by Piero Castiglioni for Gae Aulenti Fontana Arte
By Fontana Arte, Gae Aulenti
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Pair of brass and glass wall sconces, model 2689, made by Fontana Arte and designed by Piero Castiglioni and Gae Aulenti. These sconces feature a brass backplate with an angled arm o...
Brass
Sold
H 7.88 in Dm 6.7 in
Pair of grey wall lamps by Gae Aulenti and Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo, 1970s
By Gae Aulenti, Stilnovo, Livio Castiglioni
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Pair of swiveling spots made of grey lacquered metal designed by Gae Aulenti and Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo in the 1970s. The spots can also be used as ceiling lamps. The spots ...
Metal, Aluminum
Sold
H 10.63 in W 7.88 in D 9.45 in
Pair of Parola sconces by Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni for Fontana Arte
By Fontana Arte, Gae Aulenti
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Pair of Parola model wall lamps by Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni for Fontana Arte. These elegant sconces feature a brass wall support and a beautifully crafted glass diffuser tha...
Brass
Sold
H 11.03 in W 7.09 in D 7.88 in
Pair of Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni for Fontana Arte Wall Sconces
By Gae Aulenti, Fontana Arte
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Pair of beautiful wall sconces model 2689 designed by Gae Aulenti and Piero Castiglioni for Fontana Arte, circa 1981. The sconces are made of a brass wall bracket holding one source ...
Brass
Pair of wall lamps by Gae Aulenti and Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo, 1970s
By Stilnovo, Gae Aulenti, Livio Castiglioni
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Pair swiveling spots made of chromed metal designed by Gae Aulenti and Livio Castiglioni for Stilnovo in the 1970s. The spots can also be used as ceiling lamps. The spots or project...
Metal, Aluminum