Born in Tremezzo (Como) in 1945, graduated in mechanical engineering from the Politecnico di Milano in 1969.
Technical director of Kartell in 1973, responsible for product development division and division complements Labware arredo.Dal 1979 freelance designer working with Brevetti Gaggia and since 1981 for four years with the design of Alfa Romeo cars
Currently carries out its activities' industrial designer for various companies: Alias, Alessi, Arabia-Finland, Cinelli, Colombodesign, Italtel Telematica, JCDecaux, Mandarina Duck, Ideal Standard, Luceplan, Kartell, Omron Japan, Philips, Olivetti Vitra.
Exhibitions
"Creativitalia" (Tokio1990) and a solo show at Design Gallery Matzuia Ginza (Tokyo 1990)
XVIII Triennale, "Lightness" section of "The Garden of things" (Milan 1992)
"Crafts of the author" (Siena1993)
"Mutant Materials in Contemporary Design" exhibition at MOMA-(New York 1995)
"Meda-Rizzatto" at the Galerie Binnen (Amsterdam 1996)
Staff at the Salon du Meuble (Paris 1999)
"Italy and Japan; design as a way of life" (Yokohama, Kobe 2001)
Activities' teaching and research
From 1983 to 1987 professor of industrial technology at the Domus Academy
From 1995 to 1997, professor at the Graduate Course of Industrial Design at the Politecnico di Milano with a design workshop
From 1995 to 1997 Member of the Vorstand of Bremerhaven Designlabor
Since 2003 teacher at IUAV of Venice with a planning workshop in the masters course in industrial design in numerous conferences and seminars in Europe, Japan and the United States including Chicago, St. Louis at Washington University School of Architecture, Stockholm workshops with "And now ...", in Boisbuchet, Miami, San Paulo, in Ulm, Istanbul, Toronto, Mexico.
Awards
1989 "Golden Compass" for the series of lamps for Luceplan Lola
1992 "Design Plus" for International Titania Lamp
1994 "Golden Compass" for the series and for Luceplan Metropoli "European Design Prize" for his work with Luceplan.
ID Design Review 1997 - "Best of Category" for Vitra Meda Chair
1998 Good Design Gold Prize-for Japan with Vitra Meda Chair
Designer of the Year-1999 Salon du Meuble de Paris
2000 "Bundespreis Produktdesign" 2000/2001 with Meda Chair
2001 "Good Design Award" by the Chicago Athenaeum's Saudi Water
2003 "Red Dot Award" for knives Iittala Finland
2005 "Hon Royal Designer for Industry" RSA London
2006 "Design Plus" and "Light of the Future" lamp by Luceplan Mix
2007 "INDEX: Award" for Solar Bottle
2008 "Golden Compass" lamp by Luceplan Mix
Since 1994, the MoMA-Museum of Modern Art in New York City - includes the chairs in the Design Collection "Light light" 1987 and "Soft Light" 1989, "Longframe" 1991 and lamp for Alias "On-Off" 1988 for Luceplan.
Bibliography
2003 "Alberto Meda" by Francesca Picchi
Handbook Series Abitare Segesta-editions
2005 "The design of Alberto Meda-A lightweight concrete"
Darts edition of Domitilla Electa
Lives and works in Milan.