Context Gallery

Mario Bellini is one of Italy’s most renowned design talents. As an architect, he has designed structures around the world, such as the Tokyo Design Centre, the National Gallery of Victoria, and the Milan Convention Centre. His illustrious oeuvre also moves far beyond architecture—he’s a skilled industrial designer, urban planner, and furniture designer who has influenced all corners of the industry.

Bellini began his foray into the design world as an architect in the 1960’s, and by 1963 he started to incorporate furniture and product design into his work. For nearly three decades, Bellini was the chief design consultant for Olivetti, where he created product designs for typewriters, portable calculators, and early computer consoles. Bellini’s masterful understanding of form became evident in both his product and furniture work. Many of the bestselling designs from his early career, such as Le Bambole seating line for B&B Italia and the Cab chair for Cassina, continue to be produced.

With over 25 pieces of his industrial design in their permanent collection, MoMA celebrated Bellini’s contribution to the design world with a 1987 retrospective of his work.