In 1972, on a trip to Europe during my final year studying architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design, I met a fascinating woman who was in the furniture business in Italy, Maria Simoncini. Maria was brilliant, glamorous, and so bewitching that, the next year, when I was in graduate school at the Architectural Association in London, I would periodically hitchhike to Bologna just to spend time with her. As I was finishing the AA, I hitchhiked for one last visit, but, when I got there, Maria had been called away on business. I was crestfallen—until her assistant said that Maria’s partner, Dino Gavina, would see me instead.
My life changed at that moment. I had read about Gavina and his ability to meld contemporary art and design. He was a legend: his company had become part of Knoll in 1968, bringing furniture designed by Breuer, Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Takahama, Matta, and others.
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