Giuseppe Raimondi

Giuseppe Raimondi (1941–1997) was an Italian designer best known for his collaboration with the company Gufram in the 1960s and for winning the prestigious Compasso d’Oro in 1987 with his Delfina chair, produced by the brand Bontempi. He served as Gufram’s art director from the brand’s founding in 1966 until 1970, becoming a leading figure in a lively experimentation with then-innovative materials such as polyurethane, which he interpreted in boldly original ways with strong references to Pop Art aesthetics. In addition to involving some of the most promising designers of the period in the Gufram venture, Raimondi also designed several iconic products himself, such as the Margherita table (1966, co-designed with artist Ugo Nespolo) and the Alvar armchair (1967). From 1970 he co-founded the A.ba.co studio in Turin with other colleagues, before eventually setting up his own independent practice in 1977. Over the years he also worked with brands such as Cristal Art—an important Turin-based company specializing in crystal home accessories—Saint-Gobain, and Valenti. He was also active as a teacher and commentator, and wrote for some of the leading magazines in the field, including Domus, Abitare, and Casabella.