Architect & Designer
Cini Boeri in her studio (Courtesy Cini Boeri Archive)
Born in Milan in 1924, Cini Boeri graduated in Architecture
from the Polytechnic University in 1951.
She began her career collaborating with Gio Ponti and
Marco Zanuso, key figures in Italian design. In 1963 she
opened her own studio and embarked on a successful
independent career.
Cini Boeri distinguished herself in the Italian
design landscape with her innovative and
functional approach, placing a strong
emphasis on ergonomics and users’ needs.
Cini Boeri and Gio Ponti (1954)
Among her iconic works are the “Bobo” armchair (1967), the “Serpentone” sofa (1971), and the “Ghost” chair (1982).
Sofa “Bobo” (Courtesy Arflex)
Sofa “Serpentone” (Courtesy Arflex)
Armchair “Ghost” (Courtesy Fiam)
Active also as a professor, Boeri holds courses at the Politecnico University of Milan and at other prestigious
international universities. Her influence extends beyond design, encompassing architecture, urban planning and
cultural debate.
In 1967, Boeri designed for Franzi a
collection of work suitcases called “ABS
Partner”.
With an extremely innovative approach, she inverted
the canonical positions of the materials, making the
suitcases’ outer shell with synthetic resin (“ABS”), and
their inner lining with the best Franzi leathers.
For these products, Boeri redesigned even the Franzi
logo engraved on them and printed on the cardboard
packagings.
Alcuni esemplari della collaborazione sono oggi custoditi nelle collezioni permanenti del
MoMA di New York e della Triennale di Milano, a testimonianza della loro innovatività e
dal loro valore artistico.Some pieces of the collaboration between Franzi and Cini Boeri are now part of the
permanent exhibition of the MoMA in New York and the Triennale in Milan.
Moreover, in 1868, the architect
designed the Franzi store in Rome,
perfectly embodying the Modernist spirit of those years
for a space dedicated to showcasing Franzi’s luxury
creations, which were becoming more and more popular
among the international jet set of the time.
The Franzi store in Rome, designed by Cini Boeri (1968)
(Courtesy “Cini Boeri, architetto e designer”, Silvana Editoriale (2004))
(Courtesy “Cini Boeri, architetto e designer”, Silvana Editoriale (2004))
Custom interiors of the Franzi store in Rome (1968)
(Courtesy Cini Boeri Archive)