Raffaella Mangiarotti | ScandinavianDesign.com

Raffaella Mangiarotti is an Italian architect and designer, born in Genoa and based in Milan. Her work combines Italian warmth with a Nordic sense of restraint, and in Scandinavia she is best known for the furniture family she has designed for Woodnotes together with the Finnish designer Ilkka Suppanen.

Background

Mangiarotti graduated in architecture from the Politecnico di Milano, where she studied under Tomás Maldonado, and went on to work in the studios of Marco Zanuso and Francesco Trabucco. In 1999 she co-founded the studio deepdesign with Matteo Bazzicalupo, and the Triennale di Milano later dedicated a monographic exhibition to the duo’s work. She has also combined design with research and teaching, and has served as art director for the Italian manufacturers Serralunga, Manerba and IOC.

Design approach

Mangiarotti describes her criteria as practicality, good looks and ergonomics, combined with empathy for the user. Her pieces are functional rather than decorative, and often pair an open, light construction with a clearly defined outline. Her Dandelion lamp is in the permanent design collection of MoMA in New York.

Designs for Woodnotes

The collaboration with Woodnotes began at the Milan furniture fair, when Suppanen asked which Nordic company she would most like to work with. The first result was the Siro chair in 2014, a multipurpose oak chair that works as dining chair, side chair or night table. It was followed by the Twiggy table, whose oak sticks are visible beneath a glass top, Siro with armrests in 2016, the Siro bar stool and a magazine rack in oak and paper yarn. With Suppanen she has also designed the Merano chair and sofa for the Italian brand b-line.

Recognition

Mangiarotti’s work has received several Young & Design awards, ID Awards and a Compasso d’Oro selection. The Siro chair won an Interior Innovation Award, and the Siro bar stool received a German Design Award in 2018. In 2025 she took part in the Design Beyond Things exhibition in the EU Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka.

By Editorial Team, ScandinavianDesign.com

Photo: Carlo Gerli.