The origins of the Alessi Technical Office lie in a small craft workshop opened by Giovanni Alessi with his brother in 1921. A “Mechanics workshop for processing brass and nickel silver place, with a foundry” where household items and tableware are created that soon become known and appreciated for their extraordinary workmanship and finishing. Until 1970 the Technical Office designs and develops most of the Alessi products. The beginning of the company’s partnerships with external designers marks the Technical Office’s gradual shift away from product design and it now specialises exclusively in the development of projects.