Mario Bellini facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mario Bellini
Mario Bellini
Born	(1935-02-01) 1 February 1935 (age 90) Milan, Italy
Alma mater	Milan Polytechnic - Faculty of Architecture
Occupation	Architect and designer
Notable work	Museum of Islamic Art, Louvre Museum, Paris Deutsche Bank Headquarters refurbishment, Frankfurt Milan Convention Center (MICO), Milan
Awards	Compasso d’Oro Medaglia d’Oro

Mario Bellini (born February 1, 1935) is a famous Italian architect and designer. He graduated from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1959. After that, he became a successful architect, exhibition designer, and product designer. He also designed furniture during a time when Italy's economy grew very fast.

Bellini has won many awards for his designs. These include eight Compasso d'Oro awards. He also received the Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Italian Architecture. In 2019, the Italian President of the Chamber of Deputies gave him a special medal. This was to honor his amazing work in architecture and design.

Designing Cool Products and Furniture

The Olivetti Divisumma 28 calculator (1972)

The Olivetti TCV 250 Video Terminal (1966)

In 1963, Mario Bellini started working with a company called Olivetti. He helped design the Programma 101. This was an early version of a desktop computer. His design for a special machine that marked magnetic characters won an award in 1964.

Bellini kept working with Olivetti through the 1970s and 1980s. He designed many well-known products for them. These included electric typewriters like the Lexicon 82 and Praxis 35. He also designed the Mercator 20 cash register and the Divisumma 28 calculator. Many of these designs won important awards.

He also worked with many other companies. These include B&B Italia, Brionvega, Cassina, and Yamaha. He designed furniture for B&B Italia and Cassina. For Yamaha, he created TV sets, music systems, and electric organs.

For five years, he helped design cars for Renault. He also designed parts for Fiat and Lancia cars. He created lamps for companies like Artemide and office furniture for Vitra.

In 1972, Bellini designed a special car prototype called the Kar-a-Sutra. It was shown at an exhibition in New York. His flexible sofa system, the Camaleonda, was also part of this show.

The Museum of Modern Art in New York held a special exhibition about Bellini's work in 1987. At that time, the museum already had 25 of his designs. These included Olivetti machines, furniture, and office chairs.

Mario Bellini's design company, MBA, is in Milan. Bellini himself designed their office building in the 1990s. The company has about 30 to 35 architects working there.

Gallery of Design Works

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  The Volans 17 television for Brionvega (1968)

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  The Logos 58 calculator for Olivetti (1972)

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  The Olivetti Divisumma 18 calculator (1973)

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  The Olivetti Lettera 35i typewriter

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  The Olivetti Lettera Praxis DLX typewriter

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  The Olivetti Lettera 36c typewriter

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  The 412 Cab chair for Cassina (1977)

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  Another view of the Cab chair for Cassina (1977)

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  The special dashboard for the Lancia Trevi car (1980)

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  The DL 100 camera for Fuji

Amazing Architecture Around the World

Since the 1980s, Bellini has designed many buildings. You can find his architectural work in Europe, Japan, the United States, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Buildings Mario Bellini Designed

Here are some of the important buildings he has completed:

• The Milan Convention Centre (MICO), one of Europe's biggest convention centers (2008–2012).
• The Museum of Islamic Arts at the Louvre Museum in Paris (2005–2012).
• The Museum of the City of Bologna in Italy (2004–2012).
• A major update of the Deutsche Bank Twin Towers in Frankfurt, Germany (2007–2011).
• The National Gallery of Victoria extension in Melbourne, Australia (1996–2003).
• The Natuzzi Americas Headquarters in North Carolina, USA (1996–1998).
• The Tokyo Design Center in Japan (1988–1992).
• The Villa Erba Exhibition and Congress Centre in Italy (1986–1990).

Future Projects and Ideas

Mario Bellini also has many projects planned or under construction:

• A large Scientific-Technological Park in Genoa, Italy (started 2005).
• An extension of the Pinacoteca di Brera, a major art gallery in Milan (started 2009).
• A new Cultural Centre in Turin, Italy (started 2001).

He has also created designs for other big projects, like:

• The New Museum of the City of Berlin, Germany (2008).
• The Sheikh Zayed National Museum competition in Abu Dhabi, UAE (2007).
• The European Patent Office in The Hague, Holland (2004).
• The New International Trade Fair of Milan (2002).

Exhibition Design Work

Mario Bellini has also designed many art exhibitions. He created the layout and look for these shows:

• "The Treasure of St. Marco in Venice" shown in Paris and other major museums (1984–1987).
• "Italian Art in the 20th Century" at the Royal Academy of Arts in London (1989).
• "The Renaissance from Brunelleschi to Michelangelo" in Venice, Paris, and Berlin (1994–1995).
• "The Triumphs of Baroque" in Turin, Italy (1999).
• "Christopher Dresser. A designer at the Court of Queen Victoria" in Milan (2001).

Special Exhibitions About Mario Bellini

Several museums have held special shows just about Mario Bellini's work:

• In 1987, the Museum of Modern Art in New York had an exhibition called "Mario Bellini: Designer."
• In 1996, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) showed his work as an architect.
• In 2000, a gallery in Trento, Italy, had a show called "Mario Bellini: A path between architecture, furniture and cars."
• In 2003, the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne reopened with a big exhibition on his designs.

See also

In Spanish: Mario Bellini para niños