Cini Boeri Italian Furniture & Industrial Designer

Cini Boeri was an Italian designer who was born in Milan. She got her degree at Politecnico in Milan in 1951. She started her independent professional activity in 1963 (after a collaboration with Marco Zanuso), working in the architecture and design fields. In industrial design, she concerned herself with furnishing elements and components for the building trade. She designed houses, apartments, and shops, both in Italy and abroad, paying particular attention to studying the functionality of the space in smaller homes and the psychological relationships between man and environment.

Biography

She worked as an interior and furniture designer in the studio of Marco Zanuso, Milan, 1952—63. In 1963, she set up her studio, specializing in civil and interior architecture and industrial design. She was associated with ADI (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale). In 1979, she formed Cini Boeri Associati, Milan. In the early 1970s, she collaborated with Laura Griziotti on designs for Arflex. Her interior architecture was sparsely furnished. Her furniture was multi-functional and expandable, often combining standardized fittings. 

She lectured and wrote widely. She served as a juror on several competition committees. 

Works

She began experimenting with plastics in 1966, her first designs being 

• A 1966 set of luggage made of injection-moulded ABS for Franzi. 
• Her conservative approach can be seen in the 1983 Malibu table. 
• The 1970—71 Serpentone foam-rubber seating system produced by Arflex offered both flexibility and an Anti-Design attitude. 
• 1975—85, she designed showrooms for Knoll International in Los Angeles, Stuttgart, Paris, Milan, Foligno, and New York; 
• In 1983, she designed a series of prefabricated single-family houses for Misawa Company, Tokyo. 

Clients

Her clients included Artemide, Fiam, and Rosenthal. She designed lighting for Stilnovo, Arflex, and, in the mid- 1980s, Venini. 

Between 1980—83, she taught architecture, planning, industrial design, and interior design at Politecnico di Milano and universities and colleges in Spain, Brazil, and the USA, including the University of California at Berkeley. 

More Works and Books

• (with F. Angeli), she published The Human Dimensions of the House (1980); 
• (with Marisa Bertoldini) wrote ‘La dimensione del domestico’ in La casa tra techniche e sogno (1988). 
• Work included 1968 Cubetto mobile storage unit for Arflex, 
• 1970 Luario glass-chrome cantilevered table by Knoll, 
• 1970—71 Serpentone foam-rubber seating system for Arflex, 
• 1977 Gradual System sofa system for Knoll, 
• 1980 double face bookshelf for Arflex, 
• 1981 Rever door by Tre Pit, 
• 1983 Pacific sofa and loveseat for Arflex, 
• 1983 Malibu table by Arflex, hardware fixtures by Fusital from 1980, 
• 1984 Chiara lighting by Venini, 
• 1986 Brontes lighting fixture by Artemide, 
• 1986 Past modular sofa by Arflex, 
• 1987 Voyeur screen by Fiam, and all-glass, one-piece 
• 1987 Ghost chair (with Tomu Katayagi) by Fiam.

Recognition

• At the Triennali di Milano, collaborated and showed the furniture in the Arflex stand in 1965 (XIII) and subsequently at a vast number of exhibitions. 
• Received a first prize, 1966 Milan’ Piastrella d’Oro Cedit ADI’ competition; 
• Diploma of collaboration, 1968 (XIV) Triennale di Milano; 
• 1970 mention and 1979 gold (1972 Strips seating) Premio Compasso d’Oro; 
• 1978 and 1984 Roscoe Prize, New York City; 
• a mention and a gold medal (1981 Rever door), 
• 1984 ‘BIO 10’ Industrial Design Biennale, Ljubljana; 
• 1984 ‘Design 85’ award, Design Center Stuttgart; 
• 1985 German Selection award. Member of the organizing committee of the 1979 (XVI) Triennale di Milano.

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing. https://amzn.to/3ElmSlL

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