Gae Aulenti: the story of a visionary architect

Her name was Gaetana Emilia Aulenti, but she went by Gae. She was an architect, a woman in a male-dominated world. She graduated from the Polytechnic University of Milan and went on to work in industrial, interior, and exhibition design, as well as theatre and graphic design. Her career began in publishing, within the editorial team of Casabella.

The works of Gae Aulenti

Gae Aulenti is renowned for designing several iconic pieces, including the Table with Wheels and the Pipistrello lamp. However, her most significant project was the transformation of the Gare d’Orsay railway station into the Musée d’Orsay, which opened in Paris in 1986.

The awards of Gae Aulenti

Over the years, Aulenti received numerous accolades, particularly in France, where the Musée d’Orsay earned her the Legion of Honour in 1987. She was later awarded the prestigious Praemium Imperiale for Architecture by the Japan Art Association in Tokyo in 1991. Her final major recognition was the Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement, which she personally accepted at the Triennale in Milan in October 2012, shortly before her passing on 31 October.

One of her more distinctive projects was the redesign of Needle, Thread and Knot, the sculpture by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen in Piazzale Luigi Cadorna, Milan. Initially criticised for being out of scale, the installation has since become a recognised symbol of the square.

Red Gae

Gae Aulenti’s colour is more recognisable than ever, it is red. The shade she chose for the “San Francesco d’Assisi” airport, a defining feature of many of her works.

Not just any red, but the one she selected for the airport, a signature hue that distinguishes much of her architecture.

In Japan, she redesigned the Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo, where scarlet red stands out against white marble-edged walls. The renovation sparked controversy when the building’s reflection cast a pinkish glow over the cherry blossoms lining the street. Yet Aulenti refused to alter her vision, not even in exchange for money.

Red was everywhere in her life, from her eccentric wardrobe (bold red socks) to her heavy leather suitcase.

Art and theatre in the life of Gae Aulenti

Not only art but also theatre played a central role in Aulenti’s life. She had a deep admiration for the celebrated director Luca Ronconi.

Her artistic endeavours were marked by meticulous attention to detail. In 1983, FIAT acquired Palazzo Grassi to host major art and archaeology exhibitions. The renovation was entrusted to Aulenti, and the museum opened in May 1986 with a Futurism exhibition, preceding even the Musée d’Orsay.

Article translated by Agnese Giardini

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