Born in 1930 in Milan, the designer Joe Colombo starts work in the world of the design a little late. He starts studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Brera, but the real entrance in this world takes place in 1953, when Joe Colombo works on a decorative ceiling for a jazz club in Milan. After his studies at the Milan Academy, he began to study architecture at the Politecnico of Milan. In 1958, Colombo took care of the family business, dealing with the processing of new materials, including glass fiber, PVC, and polyethylene. Joe Colombo's design career lasted only 10 years due to a cardiac arrest in 1971 at the age of 41. Despite this, some of the most iconic design symbols of the '60s are included in his career. Among his greatest achievements we remember: the Gold Medal won at the Milan Triennale with the acrylic table lamp, the Compasso d'Oro Award for the Spider lamp produced by OLUCE and the Design International Award won in Chicago in the late 60s.