Paolo Rizzatto

Italian architect and designer Paolo Rizzatto (b. 1941) is a towering figure of contemporary Italian industrial design. Graduating in architecture from the Politecnico di Milano in 1965, Rizzatto co-founded lighting pioneer Luceplan in 1978 alongside Riccardo Sarfatti, revolutionizing domestic and architectural illumination. A five-time Compasso d'Oro winner, Rizzatto achieved design immortality with the Costanza lamp series (1986)—featuring an adaptable telescopic aluminum stem, a sensory touch dimmer rod, and an interchangeable polycarbonate shade. He also engineered the counterbalanced Hope chandelier and the kinetic Fortebraccio task light, alongside refined seating systems for Kartell, Cassina, and Alias.