Ponti, Gio

Gio Ponti, born Giovanni Ponti, was born in Milan in 1891. In 1921 he graduated in architecture from the Regio Istituto Tecnico Superiore (later the Politecnico di Milano).

Beginning in the 1920s, together with other architects and engineers – including Mino Fiocchi, Emilio Lancia, Antonio Fornaroli, and Eugenio Soncini – he took part in organizing several editions of the Triennale.

He began attending the San Cristoforo factory of the Società Ceramica Richard-Ginori in 1920, establishing a stable collaboration from 1922 onward. In 1923 Ponti became the company’s artistic director and also began overseeing production at Doccia. This phase of work drew to a close in 1930, although further collaborations between Ponti and Richard-Ginori would take place again in the postwar period.