Vico Magistretti started off attending courses at the Champ Universitaire Italien de Lausanne in Switzerland before switching to architecture at Milan Polytechnic, where he studied from 1940 until 1945. As an architect Vico Magistretti designed private houses, office buildings, churches, and hotels. Vico Magistretti is, however, best known as a designer of furniture, lighting, ceramics, and plastic objects. From 1946 Vico Magistretti freelanced as an industrial designer, designing for such distinguished firms as Artemide, Cassina, Conran, De Padova, Flou, FontanaArte, Fritz Hansen, Kartell, Knoll, O-Luce, Schiffini, and Campeggi. Vico Magistretti's designs invariably unite sculptural elegance with technical sophistication. Vico Magistretti has always attached great importance to top-quality workmanship and handling of materials. Magistretti's aim was to create long-lasting design solutions, quality products that would be both beautiful and utilitarian. Among Vico Magistretti's most popular designs are certainly the "Telegono" table lamp (1968), "Selene" (1969), a stackable plastic chair moulded in one piece, and the plastic chairs"Gaudì" and "Vicario" (1970). Just as famous is the Vico Magistretti metal table lamp"Atollo" (1977) and his flat-pack shelving system "Nuvola Rossa" (1977). Vico Magistretti's sofas are usually convertible and can be used in several different ways, as is the case with the "Maralunga" (1973) and "Veranda" (1983) sofas with adjustable headrests. From 1980 Vico Magistretti taught at the Royal College of Art in London, becoming an Honorary Fellow there in 1983 and a Senior Fellow in 1996.