READY-MADES
Castiglioni always had the greatest respect for those objects in which the form-function relationship was perfectly resolved in constructional terms. For this reason, in his work he often used parts of existing objects while adapting them to different functions.
He often used parts of objects that he particularly admired, retaining their form unchanged but choosing completely new times and modes of use. These objects then evolved like living creatures: the components he borrowed were regularly renewed.
Mezzadro Stool 1957
How a tractor seat can become a comfortable stool, supported on a leaf spring, also taken from a tractor but reversed, to absorb the jolting.
Toio Floor lamp 1962
An American car headlight set on a stem modeled after a fishing rod furnished the inspiration for this indirect light lamp.
Lampadina Table or wall lamp 1972
A large bulb with a "cap" silvered on one side to diminish the glare, a bulb fitting with a switch and a base made our of a reel of aluminum, to roll up the lead and hang the lamp on the wall.

REDESIGNED OBJECTS
We speak of the redesign of an object when the starting point in design is not a problem with its possible solutions but a completed project or even an existing object.
The objects Castiglioni redesigned were traditional objects that he perfected or updated to suit the technological developments and the needs of modern life, with the constant urge to enhance the value of the principal component of design.
Cumano Folding café table in iron 1979
Castiglioni simply set a hole in the table top to add the idea of "hanging" to the idea of "putting away" already present in the original design, so that the folded table could also be hung up as a decoration.
Tric folding chair 1965
Castiglioni redesigned a chair by Michael Thonet no longer in production: he introduced two variants, the higher back, for better support, and a layer of red felt covering both seat and back.
Spirale Ashtray 1971
The ingenious redesign of an existing ashtray; a steel bowl is fitted with a spring, also of steel, which acts as a support for the cigarette.

MINIMALIST OBJECTS
Castiglioni always sought to raise design to an ever-higher level of synthesis, with the desire of succeeding in eliminating everything superfluous in constructional and functional terms and grasping the formal essence.
Luminator floor lamp 1955
The principal body of the lamp is a tube sufficiently large to contain the bulb fitting and resting on three slender rods. The lead emerges like a tail from below. What could be simpler?
Tubino Table lamp 1951
When he first small fluorescent tubes arrived from the United States in 1949, Castiglioni decided to design a lamp that would embody this new technology with the smallest possible number of elements.
Hanging bookcase Wall-mounted bookcase 1966
Seeking to pare down the structure of a bookcase to the minimum, Castiglioni decided to hang the shelves on knots in two cords fixed to a single point on the wall.

EXPRESSIONISTIC OBJECTS
Castiglioni realized that the expressive and formal quality may also be affirmed as the dominant component in the design of an object. In this way it became the primary characteristic on which he worked, without neglecting the other functional and constructional elements, though in this case they should also enhance the form.
Snoopy Table lamp 1967
So called for its resemblance to the head of the beagle, the lamp rests on a vertical base in marble fitted with a dimmer switch.
Rr 126 Stereo 1965
In this project the components of a stereo are assembled so as to form the "face" of an animal, with the easy-to-move loudspeakers forming the ears, while the tuning knobs are two big eyes.
Cacciavite Table 1966
The name means "screwdriver", an allusion to the legs of the table, which screw into the top and can be removed for easy transport.

INTEGRAL DESIGN
Castiglioni applied the term "integral" to those projects that involved continuous interdisciplinary influence between all those involved in work on the separate parts of the project and when the designer intervened actively in every phase.
Spalter vacuum cleaner 1956
Spalter = spalla+terra (i.e. "shoulder + floor"). The vacuum cleaner can be slung over the shoulder or slide along the floor. It is innovative in form and in its use of the materials.
Filodiffusore Cable radio set 1967
The arrangement of the inner components of this cable radio set was designed so as to create an elongated form, easy to place on a shelf already crammed with other things. It can be placed either on its long or short side, set horizontally or vertically.