The architect Franco Bettonica was born in Milan, Italy in 1927 and started designing while he was still a student.
In 1969 together with Mario Melocchi he founded the company "Cini & Nils" (ciniundnils).
Franco Bettonica has had a successful career in construction, interiors and industrial design. Since 1969 he has been with Cini&Nils as designer and creative manager, always on the lookout for uniquely innovative, aesthetic and functional objects.
Mario Melocchi started working when he was 21, concentrating on advertising. In 1958, he was one of the first in Europe to devote himself to packaging design, from which he gradually evolved towards product design, ultimately opting definitively for the latter after meeting Franco Bettonica. Cini & Nils is the result of the work they have done together with such enthusiasm.
In 1972 the "Cuboluce" was developped based on an idea of Franco Bettonica. This award-winning "cube" can be found in the New Yorker Museum of modern Art.