Architect, urban planner and designer, Luigi Caccia Dominioni was born in Milan in 1913. He obtained his degree in Architecture from Milan Polytechnic in 1936. During his studies, he met the older brothers of Achille Castiglioni, Livio and Pier Giacomo, with whom he founded a studio immediately after graduation, working in both architecture and product design. In 1940, he designed a 5-valve Bakelite radio model for Phonola with the Castiglioni brothers, presented at the 7th Milan Triennale. After a brief period during which he was forced to move to Switzerland because he did not accept the Republic of Salò, in 1945 Caccia Dominioni returned to Italy. In 1947, with Ignazio Gardella and Corrado Corradi dell'Acqua, he founded the Azucena furniture company (part of the B&B Italia group since 2018) intending to produce the furniture they designed.
As a Milanese architect, he had a profound influence on the city, from which he never strayed very far (partly because he didn't like flying). He contributed to creating and reconstructing post-war Milan, designing many buildings, including one building in Piazza Sant'Ambrogio; another in Corso Italia; a residential complex in the San Felice district with the collaboration of Vico Magistretti; Piazza San Babila; and many more. He referred to himself as a "piantista" to indicate the passion he put into thinking about a plan of a building, a neighbourhood or a city. Fascinated by small spaces, he treated them as if they were micro-cities, applying the concepts of town planning to flats and concentrating on paths, entrances and staircases.
Luigi Caccia Dominioni left many pieces of furniture and accessory items for posterity, some of which are still in production and some of which have become design icons on display in the world’s most prestigious museums. For the Azucena brand, he designed the Monachella lamp in 1953; the famous Catilina armchair in 1958, later reworked in various versions; the Casaccia cabinet in 1962; and the Toro sofa and armchair in 1973. Caccia cutlery has been reissued and is now sold by Alessi, while the San Babila handle, designed for Olivari, is still a best seller. In 2015 Luigi Caccia Dominioni received the Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement from the Milan Triennale. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 102.
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