DESIGNER

Eugenio Gerli

Eugenio Gerli (born in 1923) is an Italian architect and industrial designer known for his long collaboration with Italian architect-designer Osvaldo Borsani and the Italian manufacturer Tecno.

In 1949, Gerli graduated in engineering and began his career a year later by opening his architecture and industrial design studio. Gerli started experimenting with various materials such as resin, felt, and molded plywood, which led to the creation of designs he presented at the ninth Milan Triennale in 1951: his bent plywood armchair for Forma (1950s), and the Sommaruga tripod chair (1950s), made of molded felt and resin-reinforced on a metal base. Architecturally, his company specializes in residential and public buildings, as well as the renovation of historic Italian buildings.

In 1957, Gerli began a long and prolific collaboration with the Borsani brothers, Fulgenzio and Osvaldo (1911–1985), founders of the Italian furniture manufacturer Tecno.

In 1968, Gerli and Osvaldo Borsani showcased their revolutionary office system, Graphis (1967), at the fourteenth Milan Triennale. The system, composed of three basic elements, was hailed as a revolution in office furniture design because its modular components allowed for limitless combinations. The system remained a bestseller for Tecno for decades, and Tecno became synonymous with technologically advanced design.