Giuseppe Pagano Pogatschnig
Giuseppe Pagano Pogatschnig (1896-1945) was born in Parenzo (Poreฤ), at the time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Biography
After the Italian language Lyceum in Trieste he joined the Italian army at the onset of the First World War and adopted the Italian name Pagano. He served actively throughout the war, took part in the enterprise of Fiume, and graduated in architecture in Turin in 1924.
In 1927 he was called upon to direct the technical office of the Turin International Exposition, held the following year, for which he designed numerous pavilions, several of them with Gino Levi Montalcini and other young avant-garde architects.
Constructed between 1928 and 1929 as the headquarters of industrialist Riccardo Gualinoโs SALPA company (known for producing innovative synthetic leather), Palazzo Gualino is today recognized as one of the earliest and most significant achievements of Rationalist architecture in Italy. Every detail, from the building itself to its furnishings, was designed according to principles of functionality, efficiency, and formal clarity. They designed a total of sixty-seven furniture models, all conceived within a coherent design language, including chairs, desks, filing cabinets, telephone stands, shelves, tables, and armchairs.
Models and collaborations
His most significant projects include the Physics Institute at the University of Rome, the experimental Steel Structure House presented at the Fifth Milan Triennale, created with Franco Albini, Mario Palanti, Renato Camus, Gian Carlo Palanti, Giuseppe Mazzoleni and Giulio Minoletti, and the celebrated Bocconi University building in Milan.