Born in Palazzolo della Stella (Udine) in 1927, she trained in Milan; she belonged to the group of young people influenced by Ernesto Rogers.
She worked with him at Casabella from 1955 to 1965, handling the graphic design and page makeup. She received her degree in architecture in 1959 and in the 1950s and 1960s she participated in the movement called "Neo-Liberty” whose original components can be traced in several of her designs. From 1960 to 1962 she taught with Samonà at the Venice Faculty of Architecture; from 1964 to 1967 she taught with Ernesto Rogers at the Milan Faculty of Architecture. She reached international fame thanks to her interior designs, installations and exhibitions for the leading Italian companies. Also noteworthy are the residential buildings and schools, besides her furniture and lighting designs.
In 1972 she took part in the exhibit "Italy: The New Domestic Landscape" at the M.o.M.A. in New York.
Besides designing, Gae Aulenti also works as critic, particularly in the Industrial Design Association, whose she was vice-president. She has been working for Zanotta since 1963. She died in 2012.
