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.
Yellow bench Locus Solus Gae Aulenti
By Gae Aulenti
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Locus Solus is a collection designed by the unpredictable flair of Gae Aulenti in 1964. The retro design of circular lines envelops any room with a touch of irresistible playfulness....
Metal
$22,000 / set
H 26.19 in W 22.05 in D 22.05 in
Gae Aulenti “Locus Solus” Dining Chairs for Poltronova, 1964, Set of 10
By Poltronova, Gae Aulenti
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Gae Aulenti “Locus Solus” dining chairs for Poltronova, metal, Italy, 1964, set of ten Designed in 1964 by Gae Aulenti, the “Locus Solus” dining chairs are a vivid expression of Ita...
Metal
Six Locus Solus Chairs by Gae Aulenti. 1970's Italian
By Gae Aulenti
Located in London, GB
Set of Six 'Locus Solus' chairs by Gae Aulenti. Constructed from tubular steel with a perforated metal seat, the gloss powdercoated finish makes it ideal for indoor and outdoor use.
Steel
$5,295Sale Price|25% Off
H 32.29 in W 28.35 in D 39.38 in
Locus Solus armchair by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, 1964
By Gae Aulenti
Located in Arezzo, Italy
Locus Solus armchair designed by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova 1964. A first production in excellent condition, restored. Structure in painted metal,...
Iron
$4,407 / set
H 26.38 in W 21.66 in D 20.87 in
Set of 4 pink Locus Solus chairs by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, 1960s
By Gae Aulenti, Poltronova
Located in amstelveen, NL
A set of 4 lacquered metal Locus Solus chairs by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova, 1964. The round seat is perforated sheet metal. The structure, which forms the backrest, armrests, and le...
Steel
$14,800Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 32.3 in W 28.4 in D 39.4 in
Gae Aulenti 'Locus Solus' Tubular Steel Armchairs, Italy, c. 1960s
By Gae Aulenti
Located in Houston, TX
Designed by renowned Italian architect and designer Gae Aulenti, this striking pair of Locus Solus armchairs embodies the sculptural elegance and innovative spirit that define one of...
Metal
Locus Solus Yellow Chair by Gae Aulenti
By Gae Aulenti, Exteta
Located in Milan, IT
This contemporary chair delivers comfort, style, and quality in a playful and colorful silhouette suitable for any outdoor setting. The original 1964 Locus Solus Collection by Gae Au...
Steel
$2,353
H 24.81 in W 44.1 in D 21.66 in
Gae Aulenti for Poltronova Panca Bianca "Locus Solus," Italy 1964
By Poltronova, Gae Aulenti
Located in Naples, IT
Locus Solus is a series of outdoor furniture designed by architect Gae Aulenti in 1967, produced by Poltronova, Zanotta and later acquired by Exteta. The elements of the series are: ...
Metal
$2,288
H 25.99 in W 22.45 in D 21.66 in
Early Gae Aulenti for Zanotta 'Locus Solus' Tubular Chrome Armchair in Chrome
By Gae Aulenti
Located in London, GB
Gae Aulenti for Zanotta, 'Locus Solus' armchair, chromed tubular steel, blue leatherette, Italy, 1964 This Locus Solus armchair, designed by Gae Aulenti and produced by Zanotta, is ...
Steel, Chrome
$12,000 / set
H 26.19 in W 22.05 in D 22.05 in
Gae Aulenti “Locus Solus” Dining Chairs for Poltronova, 1964, Set of 6
By Gae Aulenti, Poltronova
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Gae Aulenti “Locus Solus” Dining Chair for Poltronova, metal, Italy, 1964, set of six Designed in 1964 by Gae Aulenti, the “Locus Solus” dining chairs are a vivid expression of Ital...
Metal
Locus Solus Orange Loveseat by Gae Aulenti
By Exteta, Gae Aulenti
Located in Milan, IT
Part of the Locus Solus collection of outdoor furniture, this colorful loveseat boasts a retro-inspired silhouette made of tubular steel with an oblong seat upholstered with an exclusive artwork printed...
Steel
$1,306 / set
H 26.78 in W 21.66 in D 21.26 in
3x Original Locus Solus Stühle Poltronova Gae Aulenti Metall design
By Gae Aulenti, Poltronova
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten einen von drei wunderschönen und sehr seltenen Armlehnstühlen des italienischen Traditionsherstellers Poltronova aus den 1960er Jahren zum Verkauf an. Das Design stammt vo...
Metal
$6,346 / set
H 26.78 in Dm 21.66 in
Gae Aulenti Space Age Locus Solus Armchairs and Ottoman for Poltronova, 1964
By Poltronova, Gae Aulenti
Located in Vicenza, IT
Set of 2 Locus Solus Lounge Chairs and Ottoman by Gae Aulenti for Poltronova – Restored This rare set includes two lounge chairs and one ottoman from the Locus Solus series, designe...
Iron
Locus Solus, Gae Aulenti, Set of 2 Poufs
By Gae Aulenti
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Made of steel and fabrics with original and unprecedented patterns, Locus Solus is a reissue of a collection designed by the unpredictable flair of Gae Aulenti in 1964. The retro des...
Aluminum
Locus Solus, Gae Aulenti, Set of 2 Poufs
By Gae Aulenti
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Made of steel and fabrics with original and unprecedented patterns, Locus Solus is a reissue of a collection designed by the unpredictable flair of Gae Aulenti in 1964. The retro des...
Aluminum