Andrea Branzi was born in 1938 in Florence, where he received his degree in architecture.
Together with Corretti, Deganello and Morozzi, he founded the avant-garde group, Archizoom, with which he participated in the radical architecture movement. With this group he took part in the 1972 show at the New York Museum of Modern Art: “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape.” During that period he also wrote editorials for Casabella.
From 1974 to 1976 he concerned himself with Global Tools, a Free School for Individual Creativity.
In the late 1970s he set up CDM, a Milan-based group of design consultants; with it, he worked on the concept of primary design, environmental decoration and color design for industry. In 1977 he coordinated–for CentroKappa–the exhibit and book Il design italiano degli anni Cinquanta. Right from the outset he worked with Studio Alchimia (he designed furniture and objects, prepared shows and publications) and Memphis.
Andrea Branzi is reputed to be one of the lead players in New Italian Design because of his intensive designing and theorizing which has appeared in many publications, including La Casa Calda. Esperienze del Nuovo Design Italiano (1984), Animali Domestici (1987), Pomeriggi alla Nuova Industria (1988).
He has contributed to the leading architectural and design reviews and from 1983 to 1987 he directed Modo. Two issues of Space Design and Japan Interior Design were devoted entirely to his work. He also teaches, holding numerous lectures at universities in Italy and abroad. Since 1983 he has been Cultural Director of Domus Academy in Milan, the postgraduate design school.
Andrea Branzi has had many one-man shows at the Milan Triennale and at galleries and museums worldwide, such as Lijbanam Centrum, Rotterdam; CAYC, Buenos Aires; Musée St. Pierre, Lyon; Musée des Arts Décoratifs at the Louvre, Paris. All his projects were acquired in 1982 by the Communication Study Center and Archives at the University of Parma. In 1987 he won the Compasso d’Oro/ADI prize for his entire career.