Montalcini & Pagano desk

Giuseppe Pagano (1896-1945) and Gino Levi Montalcini (1902-1974) designed this exquisite desk in the 1920s as part of a commissioned project for the Gualino offices in Turin. The project received much critical acclaim; it was regarded as one of the purist expressions of the rationalist movement, and of such historic architectural importance that it dominated an entire issue of Gio Ponti’s Domus magazine in 1930.

The desk’s boxy aesthetic is offset by more delicate, inset feet. Its wood is covered in Buxus
paper, an innovative material that broke new ground in its time. The result is a highly
patterned, natural surface that is both intricate and lightweight.

Lacquered wood, Buxus paper. Minor surface scuffs and marks, but in remarkable original
condition. Literature: Domus no. 30, June 1930. See pp. 88-89 for similar examples.

H80 L140 D70cm

G339