Alberto Rosselli

Alberto Rosselli (1921–1976) was an Italian architect and designer who also made a significant contribution to the institutional and editorial dimensions of design culture. He was one of the founding members of ADI (Associazione per il Disegno Industriale), serving as its first president from 1956 to 1957, and the founder and editor of the influential magazine Stile Industria, published between 1954 and 1963. Rosselli was closely connected to Gio Ponti, to whom he was also related by marriage, having married Ponti’s daughter Giovanna. It was Gio Ponti who introduced him to architectural journalism, inviting him to write the column Disegno per l’industria for Domus, at the time a focal point of the cultural ferment that was shaping the practices and professional role of what would become known as “Italian industrial designers.” Rosselli was also among the co-founders of the Compasso d’Oro award and, together with Marco Zanuso, was responsible for producing—based on a design by graphic designer Albe Steiner—the compass-shaped trophy awarded to the winners. He himself received the Compasso d’Oro twice: in 1970 for the Fiat Meteor long-distance coach, co-designed with Isao Hosoe, and in 1987 with a posthumous lifetime achievement award. As a product designer, he worked with many major brands, including Arflex, Cassina, Kartell, and Pavoni. Particularly important was his long relationship with Saporiti, for which he served as art director from 1966 until his death; during these years, enduring designs such as the Jumbo armchair and the Confidential sofa were created. In parallel, Rosselli also practiced as an architect within Gio Ponti’s studio, later becoming a partner in the firm Ponti–Fornaroli–Rosselli (PFR). Several of his lighting designs are today reissued by the brand Tato Italia.