Bio
Guglielmo Poletti is a Milan-based Italian designer. His practice ranges from objects, furniture and lighting – conceived as personal editions, limited or industrial series – to architectural interiors. His work embodies a minimalist sensibility, overcoming typological differentiations through a coherent set of criteria grounded in archetypal reconfigurations.
Poletti’s object-based research explores the constructive potential of materials through a deconstructive approach to form, defining a vocabulary informed by structural considerations. Within this framework, the notions of limit and balance are challenged on both physical and conceptual levels. By combining intuition with analytical reflection, his process restricts arbitrary decisions to seek the logical foundations of the project.
This rational lens extends to his architectural output, characterised by primary volume compositions and precise spatial distribution. Here, the rigour of proportions highlights the essence of the space, while bespoke furniture and autonomous pieces act as distinctive marks that shape its identity and elevate its formal quality.
After obtaining an MA in Contextual Design at Design Academy Eindhoven, Guglielmo Poletti founded his studio in 2016. His portfolio comprises independent projects, private commissions and collaborations with prominent galleries and manufacturers – including Flos, Magis and MDF Italia. He has received numerous awards and recognitions from leading design institutions and global publications such as ADI – Associazione per il Disegno Industriale, Maison&Objet, AD Architectural Digest, Elle Decor International and Wallpaper* Magazine. His work is held in the permanent collection of the Design Museum Gent.
Studio
The studio is located in an industrial building on the outskirts of Milan, which has been entirely renovated. The space fulfils multiple purposes, simultaneously serving as office and meeting area, and hosting a workshop area for model making.
Exhibitions
2022
June / Milan Design Week / Fuorisalone / Flos / ‘See the Stars Again’ / Milan / IT
2020
September–October / Milano Design City / Desalto / ‘La casa del collezionista’ / Cantù / IT
September / The Venice Glass Week / Mr.Lawrence & Desalto / ‘Glass Utopia’ / Venice / IT
May / Mr.Lawrence & Cambi Casa d'Aste / ‘Design Loves Milano’ / Milan / IT
January / Maison&Objet / Decoratori Bassanesi / Paris / FR
January / imm cologne / Desalto / Cologne / DE
2019
September / Cersaie / Decoratori Bassanesi / Bologna / IT
June–July / The National Museum of Singapore / ‘Wallpaper* Handmade X Singapore’ / Singapore / SG
May / ICFF / Decoratori Bassanesi / ‘Ceramics of Italy’ / Javits Center / New York / USA
April / Milan Design Week / Salone del Mobile.Milano / Desalto / Milan / IT
April / Milan Design Week / Fuorisalone / Desalto / Milan / IT
April / Milan Design Week / Fuorisalone / Wallpaper* Magazine / ‘Wallpaper* Handmade X’ / Milan / IT
April / Milan Design Week / Fuorisalone / Galleria Rossana Orlandi / Milan / IT
March–April / Christie's Italia & AIL Milano / ‘Una Mano per AIL’ / Milan / IT
March / COLLECTIBLE / SEEDS London Gallery / Brussels / BE
February / Madrid Design Festival / Galleria Rossana Orlandi / Madrid / ES
February / Het Nieuwe Instituut / ‘Dead Darlings #11 — Design’ / Rotterdam / NL
January / Maison&Objet / Decoratori Bassanesi / Paris / FR
2018
October / PAD London Art + Design / Galleria Rossana Orlandi / London / UK
September / Cersaie / Decoratori Bassanesi / Bologna / IT
May / Schloss Hollenegg for Design / ‘Legacy’ / Schwanberg / AUT
April / Milan Design Week / Fuorisalone / Galleria Rossana Orlandi / Milan / IT
April / Milan Design Week / Fuorisalone / SEEDS London Gallery / Milan / IT
February / ARCOmadrid / Galleria Rossana Orlandi & AD Architectural Digest Spain / Madrid / ES
January / Maison&Objet / ‘Rising Talent Awards Italy’ / Paris / FR
2017
November / Operæ – PHM | Piemonte Handmade / SEEDS London Gallery / Turin / IT
October / PAD London Art + Design / Galleria Rossana Orlandi / London / UK
June / Bratislava Design Week / ZOYA Gallery / Bratislava / SK
May–Ongoing / Design museum Gent / ‘Maarten Van Severen & Co. — A Wild Thing’ / Ghent / BE
April / Milan Design Week / Fuorisalone / Spazio Rossana Orlandi / Milan / IT
March–April / Spazio MIL – Archivio Sacchi & Pierre Dupont / ‘Relazione di Appartenenza’ / Milan / IT
February–May / SEEDS London Gallery / ‘SUPPORTS / SURFACES*’ / London / UK
2016
October / Dutch Design Week / Design Academy Eindhoven Graduation Show / ‘In Need Of...’ / Eindhoven / NL
October / Biennale Interieur / The Maarten Van Severen Foundation / ‘MVSC01 Erwan Bouroullec’ / Kortrijk / BE
2015
March / Kazerne / ‘From A to Z in One Day with Maarten Baas’ / Eindhoven / NL
2014
April / Salone del Mobile.Milano / Salone Satellite / Milan / IT
Awards
2023
ADI Design Index 2023 / Design per l'illuminazione / ADI – Associazione per il Disegno Industriale / IT / Shortlisted
2023
EDIDA – ELLE DECO INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARDS 2023 / Lighting / Elle Decor Italia / IT / Shortlisted
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2023 / Best Cable Show / Wallpaper* Magazine / UK / Winner
AD100 2023 / AD Architectural Digest / Nominated
2020
Archiproducts Design Awards 2020 / Furniture / Archiproducts / IT / Winner
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2020 / Best Dinner Guests / Wallpaper* Magazine / UK / Winner
2019
Kaldewei Future Award by AW Architektur & Wohnen 2020 / AW Architektur & Wohnen / DE / Shortlisted
Dezeen Awards 2019 / Emerging designer of the year / Dezeen / UK / Longlisted
Archiproducts Design Awards 2019 / Furniture / Archiproducts / IT / Longlisted
Stylepark Selected Award / Stylepark Magazine / Salone del Mobile.Milano 2019 / Milano / IT / Winner
2018
EDIDA – ELLE DECO INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARDS 2019 / Young Talent of the Year / Elle Decor Italia / IT / Shortlisted
ADI Ceramics & Bathroom Design Award / ADI – Associazione per il Disegno Industriale / Cersaie 2018 / Bologna / IT / Winner
Wallpaper* Design Awards 2018 / Officine Panerai Next Generation Designer of the Year / Wallpaper* Magazine / UK / Shortlisted
Rising Talent Awards Italy / MAISON&OBJET / Paris / FR / Nominated
2017
Design Museum Gent / Equilibrium Stool – Prototype Edition / Ghent / BE / Acquisitions
2015
MVSC01 Erwan Bouroullec / The Maarten van Severen Foundation / Ghent / BE / Nominated
Talks & Lectures
2022
June / Milan Design Week / Flos / ‘Complementary Continental: Site Specificity in a Post-Global World’ / Milan / IT
2019
June / Bati-C Design / Decoratori Bassanesi / Luxembourg / LU
2018
January / MAISON&OBJET / ‘Rising Talents: The New Stars of Italian Design’ / Paris / FR
2017
December / MADE Program / Rosario Gagliardi Academy of Fine Arts / Syracuse / IT
June / Bratislava Design Week / BADW Design Lectures / Bratislava / SK
Acquisitions
2017
Design Museum Gent / Equilibrium Stool – Prototype Edition / Ghent / BE