Franca Helg

Italy

Person

Designer

Born 21 February 1920 Milan, Italy Died 4 June 1989 Milan, Italy Franca Helg graduated in architecture from the Politecnico di Milano in 1945. In 1951 she co-curated the exhibition 'Abitazione' at the IX Triennale di Milano. From 1952 she was a partner in Studio di Architettura Franco Albini e Franca Helg, collaborating with Franco Albini on all architectural and design projects until his death in 1977. Major works of this period included the restoration of the Museo di Palazzo Rosso in Genoa (1952–1962), the La Rinascente department store on Piazza Fiume in Rome (1957–1961), the Olivetti store in Paris (1960), the Orion 23ʺ television set for Brionvega (1962), and the design concept and wayfinding system for Milan underground Lines 1 and 2 (1962–1969), which received the Compasso d’Oro in 1964. In 1959 she designed the PL19 armchair (Tre Pezzi) for Carlo Poggi and served as an assistant to Lodovico Belgiojoso at the Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia. From 1963 she taught architectural design at the Politecnico di Milano and became a professor there in 1984. Other significant projects included the Pirelli exhibition stand of 1956 and the scenography for the 'Palladio' exhibition at the Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza (1974). Following Albini’s death in 1977, the practice continued under the name Marco Albini Franca Helg Antonio Piva Architetti Associati.