When in 1949 Ignazio Gardella began working on one of his most famous pieces of architecture, the apartment complex at Via Marchiondi 7 in Milan, designed with Anna Castelli Ferrieri and Roberto Menghi, every last detail was skilfully crafted. Olivari was involved for the production of the door handles, and this collaboration – centred on an idea of architecture in which every part, no matter how small, contributed toward the aim of an organic whole – led to the creation of the Garda series.

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GARDA, 1951

For its clean lines and lean visual language, Gardella declared to have taken inspiration from the German functionalist architect Ferdinand Kramer, who had participated under the project leader Ernst May in the new city plan for Frankfurt (Das Neue Frankfurt, 1925-1930) by designing a utilitarian, geometric door handle.

— Digamma poltrona, Gavina 1950

— Ignazio Gardella

. Gardella studied the proportions of his own handle by starting with a cylindrical element.

— Dispensario antitubercolare, Alessandria 1934-1938

— Ignazio Gardella, Franco Albini, Quartiere Mangiagalli, Milano 1950-1952

progressively widens toward the end of the lever, taking on a conical shape with the same elementary elegance that distinguishes his architecture.

— LTA3 Arenzano lampada, Azucena 1956

— Tavolo esposto alla X Triennale di Milano, 1954

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