Modernist 20th Century 
22 May 2005
Gino Levi-Montalcini, custom console from the De Benedetti House - Image 1 of 2
Gino Levi-Montalcini, custom console from the De Benedetti House - Image 2 of 2
Modernist 20th Century 
Gino Levi-Montalcini, custom console from the De Benedetti House - Image 1 of 2
Gino Levi-Montalcini, custom console from the De Benedetti House - Image 2 of 2
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Gino Levi-Montalcini

custom console from the De Benedetti House

Italy, 1950
Italian walnut, glass 37½ h × 91 w × 17¾ d in (95 × 231 × 45 cm)
estimate: $35,000–40,000
result: $102,000
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This extraordinary console was created for the De Benedetti family, owners of the important Italian manufacturing company Olivetti. The angular glass top is supported by a continuous steel structure that is meticulously wrapped in wood. Literature: Il Mobile Italiano Degli Anni '40 e '50, de Guttry and Maino, pg. 194 illustrates this example

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Gino Levi-Montalcini 1902–1974

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Gino Levi-Montalcini was born in Milan, Italy in 1902. Growing up in an artistic family, Levi-Montalcini had private lessons in painting and sculpture as a child. These lessons led him to pursue architecture as his chosen discipline, and in 1925, he graduated from the Royal School of Engineering in Turin. After graduating, Gino Levi -Montalcini teamed with his faculty member Giuseppe Pagano to start a new architectural practice. The men worked together to craft buildings in the Rationalist style, which was noted for the way in which it used reason to solve the architectural problems. In addition, Levi-Montalcini designed the interiors and furniture for many of their architectural projects, crafting furniture that was both sleek and utilitarian.

In 1936, furniture designed by Levi-Montalcini in collaboration with Ettore Sottsass Sr. and Carlo Turina was featured at the Triennale in Milan. During the 1930s, Levi-Montalcini wrote about architecture for Domus and Casa Bella, a magazine he co-founded. His Jewish heritage led him to flee Milan during World War II, and he settled in Florence under a false name. After the War, Levi-Montalcini taught engineering at the University of Turin. He died in 1974 leaving a legacy of innovative architecture and design that changed the landscape of Italy.

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