Fontana Arte

Fontana Arte is the artistic division of Luigi Fontana & Co., a glass manufacturing company founded by Luigi Fontana. The renowned architect Gio Ponti established the Fontana Arte division in 1932. Ponti recognized that glass objects, such as lamps and tables, could be seamlessly integrated into his various interior designs. He sought the assistance of artist Pietro Chiesa to develop a new artistic direction for Fontana Arte. While working for Fontana Arte, Chiesa had the opportunity to express his creativity in various ways. He designed over 1,000 pieces for Fontana Arte, including lamps, tables, and windows. Some of his most famous works include Cartoccio, a unique glass vase that curls at the top into four points, Fontana, a low table crafted from a large curved glass piece, and Luminator, a series of modern floor lamps in nickel-plated brass.

In 1979, the dynamics of Fontana Arte underwent a radical change. A group of private investors acquired the company, and Carlo Guglielmi was appointed as the CEO. He hired various architects to design new pieces for Fontana Arte; Gae Aulenti became the new artistic director, Pierluigi Cerri the graphic consultant, Piero Castiglioni was named the lighting engineer for Fontana Arte, and Franco Raggi managed special events. The idea was to revive the original concept of Fontana Arte by allowing prominent architects to work on new designs for the company.

From 1979 until the late 1990s, Fontana Arte continued to expand. In 1992, the company acquired Candle, an innovative lighting company. Fontana Arte also opened large showrooms in Milan, Rome, Via Giulia, and Los Angeles. In 1998, the new line of Fontana Arte, Oggetti, was introduced. The company continued to explore new markets throughout the 2000s, gaining worldwide recognition for its modern design pieces.