Known for his radical and revolutionary designs, famed Italian architect Alessandro Mendini died on Monday at age 87.

In a 2010 article, Alice Rawsthorn of W Magazine noted that "even if you’ve never heard of Alessandro Mendini, you’re bound to have been affected by his work. That’s because our lives would be different without him."

Born in Milan in 1931, Mendini's 60-year career began in 1959 when he graduated from the Politecnico of Milano with a B.Arch. In 1973, Mendini founded the design collective Global Tools, which was a product of Italy's Radical design movement and operated until 1975. In 1979, he joined Studio Alchimia, where he worked with fellow Italian Radicalists and Memphis founders Ettore Sottsass and Michele De Lucchi.

In 1982, Mendini cofounded the Domus Academy in Milan. "Now, I don’t know who first came up with the word ‘School’, but it was in the air that it might be interesting to have a teaching environment in a city that is the capital of design but that had no design schools…” Mendini said according to a statement released by the school. Mendini also served as the editor-in-chief of architecture and design magazines Casabella and Domus and founded the magazines Modo, in 1977, and Ollo, in 1988.

The Magis Proust in blue. Thanks to the nature of its material, the armchair is suitable for the outdoors.
Courtesy of Magis/ Alessandro Paderni The Magis Proust in blue. Thanks to the nature of its material, the armchair is suitable for the outdoors.

In 1989, he founded Milan-based firm Atelier Mendini with his younger brother, Francesco. Among the projects the brothers undertook were the renovation of the Groninger Museum in Groningen, Netherlands; the Bicchieraia Performance Art Theater in Arezzo, Italy; and the Byblos Art Hotel in Verona, Italy. The firm won the 2003 Gold Medal for Italian Architecture from the Triennale di Milano for its renovation plans for the metro system in Naples, Italy.

The Groninger Museum in Groningen, Netherlands.
Wutsje The Groninger Museum in Groningen, Netherlands.

His product designs continues to create an impact on households across the world. Some of his most ubiquitous include the "Proust" armchair, for Italian furniture Manufacturer Magis—which is Baroque in shape but constructed using materials such as polyurethane foam and plastic—and the "Anna G." and "Alessandro M." corkscrews for Alessi. And as recently as 2016, he designed a line of merchandise for New York-based streetwear company Supreme.