Fontana Arte

In 1881 Luigi Fontana started his business in Milan producing glass for the construction industry. Over the years, it started producing refined, custom-made glass furniture accessories. In 1906 the company exhibited at the Milan International Fair with the Pharaonic Pavilion, visited by such personalities as Vittorio Emanuele III and Queen Elena. Sensing new trends in architecture and decoration and guided by the dictates of the prevailing Liberty style, Fontana produces polychrome stained glass, advertising signs, enameled glass, polished and decorated mirrors as well as furniture with glass elements and wonderful shop windows with large curved glass, having a huge impact on public opinion. In 1910, the company is taken over by Saint-Gobain, transforming it into "Società Anonima". The new capital becomes a flywheel for Fontana and enables the implementation of new projects. During the Great War, the company expands its operations by producing military stocks. At the same time, it introduces new avant-garde products to the market like crystal lighting and furniture. In 1931 Gio Ponti takes over the artistic management of the company. His designs for the brand include the iconic 0024, Bilia, Pirellina and Pirellone lamps and the Tavolino coffee table. Gio Ponti invites Pietro Chiesa, an outstanding glass master to cooperate with him. He will play a key role for FontanaArte. His works include: Fontana table, Luminator floor lamp. In the 1950s, the French master glassmaker and decorator Max Ingrand joins the design team. He leads the company towards more intensive industrial production but with an important craftsmanship aspect in mind. When Sant-Gobain sold the company in 1932, it came under the management of Carlo Guglielmi. At the same time Gae Aulenti becomes the company's artistic director, reworking the collection and adding her own designs to the portfolio. In the following years, products that became a permanent part of the history of design were created, and FontanaArte keeps searching and recruits new young talents. The culmination of FontanaArte's many years of success is the recognition of ADI - the Italian Association of Industrial Design and the Compasso d'Oro award. The creative atmosphere can be seen in every aspect of the company's daily life: from cooperation with the greatest names of international architecture, through focus on design, from a long tradition of craftsmanship, to technological innovations. In 2010 FontanaArte is acquired by Nice SpA, and in 2016 it becomes part of ItalianCreationGroup - a holding specializing in interior design and luxury lifestyle. The brand's rich history is evident in its timeless collection, featuring many design icons. The assortment also includes fixtures presenting the innovative use of glass and decorative designs that will work well at home, in the office, as well as in larger spaces.