Italian architect and designer Franco Albini was one of the great masters of Italian Rationalism and a defining figure in twentieth-century architecture and design. Born in 1905, he graduated in architecture from the Politecnico di Milano in 1929, beginning his career in the studio of Gio Ponti and Emilio Lancia before establishing his own practice in 1931. His work moved fluidly between architecture, furniture, exhibition design, museums and public infrastructure.

Albini became known for an extraordinary sense of lightness, structural clarity and precision. Rather than using decoration to create character, he exposed construction and allowed materials, connections and proportions to become part of the visual language. His work with Franca Helg also included Milan's Line 1 Metro stations, which received the Compasso d'Oro in 1964.