Ettore Sottsass

Ettore Sottsass

Ettore Sottsass (September 14, 1917 – December 31, 2007) is one of the most influential designers of the 20th century. Born in Innsbruck as the son of an architect Sottsass completed his architectural studies at the Polytechnic University of Turin in 1939. After the Second World War he settled in Milan where he worked as an architect, designer and artist from 1946 onward.

Sottsass's works mark a conscious departure from the strict functionalism of the pre- and post-war period. With colourful forms, ironic gestures and radical concepts, he shaped a new understanding of design that emphasised emotion and symbolism. As early as the 1950s and 1960s he experimented with new materials such as fibreglass and designed iconic products for companies such as Poltronova and Olivetti – including the famous "Valentine" typewriter from 1968.

In 1980 Sottsass and his colleagues founded the Memphis Group whose provocative designs with expressive colours, unusual materials, and a postmodern attitude attracted international attention. Furniture such as the Carlton room divider became symbols of this movement. Memphis no longer focused on function but understood design primarily as a cultural expression and a commentary on society.

Ettore Sottsass remained a designer full of energy, humour and a spirit of contradiction throughout his life. His furniture, objects and public works – such as the "BUSSTOPS" bus stop in Hanover – continue to express his search for sensuality, humanity and freedom in design and have had a lasting impact on subsequent generations of designers.