1930-1971
the future was here a long time ago.......
"Since the beginning of his career Colombo was at most interested in living systems. His early modular container Combi-Centre of 1963 is an example for that. This preference for furniture systems leaded to designs like Additional Living System (1967-1968) and the chairs Tube (1969-1970) and Multi (1970), which were able to be assembled in various positions to get a great number of sitting positions. They reflect Colombo's main goal, variability."
"Colombo produced innovative designs for furniture, lamps, glas, doorknobs, pipes, alarm clocks and wristwatches. He created the professional camera Trisystem (1969), the airconditioner Candy (1970), serving plates for Alitalia (1970) as well as an ergonomic and engined printing table.
Since the beginning of his career Colombo was at most interested in living systems. His early modular container Combi-Centre of 1963 is an example for that. This preference for furniture systems leaded to designs like Additional Living System (1967-1968) and the chairs Tube (1969-1970) and Multi (1970), which were able to be assembled in various positions to get a great number of sitting positions. They reflect Colombo's main goal, variability."
(his apartment)
"Nevertheless, his futuristic designs were integrated micro-living-worlds. Therefore belonged for example his Visiona-Livingroom of the future, which was exhibited at he Visiona-Exhibition of 1969. This room consisted of "Barbella-like" space interiors where furniture became structure elements and reverse. Traditional furniture was replaced by functional elements like for example the sitting cubes Night-Cell and Central-Living as well as the Kitchen-Box, to create a dynamic, multifunctional livingroom.
For his own apartment Colombo designed the units Roto-living and Cabriolet-Bed (both 1969), followed by Total Furnishing Unit, which was presented at the exhibition Italy: The Domestic Landscape at the Museum of Modern Art, New York in 1972. It should represent a complete Living-machine, which consisted of kitchen, wardrobe, bathroom and sleeping accommodation, complete on only 28 square meters."
typically shown, Colombo was not only one of the most important designers of his time but also
a gifted communicator and self-promoter. Always elegantly dressed and never without a pipe in
his mouth, Colombo furnished fitting images to accompany his designs: that of a “designer
dandy” who was fascinated by the possibilities of new technologies and the improvement of
everyday life. He even perfected a simple object like a pipe by levelling off the bottom so it could
be put down on the table without falling over. Colombo was hence both – one of the great future
visionaries of the 20th century as well as a pragmatist for whom the future began with the little
everyday things."
taken from here..
and watch a mini documentary about him here...