Pierluigi Cerri passed away on Tuesday 29 November at age 83. The Italian architect, designer, curator, editor, academic and three-time Compasso d’Oro laureate was a polymath and a visionary: his work spanned from design to fashion, from exhibition curation to architecture, leaving an everlasting mark on the contemporary creative industries. Cerri created some of the most iconic visuals of our times by interpreting ideas into functional objects and refined graphics.
Pierluigi Cerri: ‘I’m interested in forms that survive history’
‘Ouverture’ sofa for Poltrona Frau, 1982
Architect and urban planner Stefano Boeri paid his respects through an Instagram post: ‘Pierluigi Cerri has left us. He had the rare gift of elegance, which in graphic design means translating concepts and ideas into clear, composed signs; endowed with a grace that seems innate.’
Born in 1939, Cerri belonged to the generation who has made and continues to make the history of architecture and design. Among his friends was Renzo Piano, who, in an interview, described Cerri as ‘a shy boy, with a slight note of ennui, of boredom, in his eyes. As if the fundamental feeling towards life should be to watch it.’ Cerri commented on his years at the Politecnico as a time when he and his peers learnt and watched, absorbing life and its lessons.
Naòs table for UniFor, part of a collection including a range of shapes and sizes
From the beginning of his career as a founding member of Gregotti Associati in 1974, Cerri was fascinated by smaller projects. He was after beauty, perfection even, and this was a restless quest that could not wait decades to come to fruition. ‘I am too anxious to engage in long-lasting “wars”. Waiting 20 years to see the realisation of a project would drive me to anxiety,’ confessed the architect.
The separation from Gregotti was natural, organic – ‘After all, already in the years when we worked together, it was as if another studio had evolved: mine, aimed less at large-scale architecture. While [Vittorio Gregotti] was designing the Bicocca, I was oriented towards interior design, small-scale architecture.’ Cerri focused not only on smaller architectural commissions but also on product and visual design. While creating forward-looking furniture for some of the most prominent design companies such as UniFor, B&B Italia, Fontana Arte, Arflex, Molteni&C, and Poltrona Frau (which most recently reissued his ‘Ouverture’ sofa), Cerri gave shape to elegant objects with a purpose.
Pierluigi Cerri's logo design for Salone del Mobile
Among his most renowned graphic projects are the visual identity of the Venice Biennale in 1976 and the creation of Prada America’s Cup corporate identity – the iconic and effortless red line – but also the the corporate identities of Salone del Mobile, MART Museum of Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto, Triennale di Milano, and many others.
A figure with a distinctive graphic signature and creative intuition, Cerri was also heavily involved in publishing as he created graphics for leading publishing houses, such as Electa, Einaudi, Bollati Boringhieri, Bompiani, Skira and La Nave di Teseo. He also curated and directed magazines including Casabella and Rassegna and he won several competitions and awards – including the Compasso d’Oro in 1995, 2001 and 2004.
Restless and visionary, Cerri was constantly on a quest for perfection. Still, his vast and eclectic remit allowed him to experiment and excel in numerous fields, capturing the beauty of design and architecture of his time. Perfection is impossible to achieve, but Cerri’s objects, graphics and legacy are timeless, eternal – and we’d say almost perfect. As he once revealed in an interview, ‘I’m interested in forms that survive history.’
-
Architecture Drawing Prize 2022 awarded to rich visualisation that challenges stereotypesThe Architecture Drawing Prize 2022 has been awarded to Samuel Wen and Michael Ren for their hybrid artwork, 'Fitzroy Food Institute'
-
First look at Rimowa’s new collaboration with cult skate brand Palace
Palace Rimowa sees the luggage brand’s signature aluminium cabin suitcase emblazoned with an airbrushed motif, alongside a custom skate deck and set of stickers
-
Cape Town: 8 things to do and see for the design-minded traveller
Cape Town is a capital of art, design, food and wellness; local resident Sean O’Toole on the best things to do and see, from a Bree Street meander to a Constantia wine route
-
In memoriam: celebrating the lives and work of those we lost in 2022
We honour and remember some of the influential creatives lost during 2022, through the Wallpaper* tributes that ran throughout the year
-
In memoriam: George Lois (1931 – 2022)
George Lois, the American advertising and graphic design titan, died on 18 November 2022, aged 91
-
In memoriam: Fernando Campana (1961 – 2022)
We remember Brazilian designer and architect Fernando Campana, who died on 16 November 2022 aged 61
-
In memoriam: Marcus Fairs (1967–2022)
We remember Dezeen founder Marcus Fairs, a leading light of design and architecture journalism, who has passed away at age 54
-
In memoriam: André Dubreuil (1951 – 2022)
We celebrate the life and work of André Dubreuil and his inventive design pieces
-
Russell Bell (1958 – 2022), an appreciation
We remember illustrator Russell Bell, whose artistry helped define the Wallpaper* aesthetic
-
In memoriam: celebrating the lives and work of those we lost in 2021
We pause to remember inspirational creative figures sadly lost in 2021, to whom Wallpaper* paid tribute during the year
-
In memoriam: Pauline Deltour (1983 – 2021)
