Mario Botta (born 1943, Mendrisio, Switzerland) is a Swiss architect and designer. After studying in Milan and later at the Iuav University of Venice, where he came into contact with figures such as Carlo Scarpa, Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn, he established his own practice in Lugano in 1970. Over the course of his career, Botta became internationally recognized for an architectural language defined by geometric clarity, formal rigor and a strong sensitivity to light, material and context. Alongside his architectural work, Botta developed a design practice in which these same principles were applied to furniture and lighting. Since 1982, he has collaborated with Alias, designing some of his best-known furniture pieces, including the Prima and Seconda chairs. 

He also worked with Artemide, for whom he designed the Shogun table lamp, one of his most recognizable objects. Botta's design work is characterized by a clear architectural approach, in which structure, proportion and material expression play a central role. His pieces combine sculptural presence with formal restraint and reflect the same discipline that defines his buildings. His work has been exhibited internationally and is included in major museum collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Over the years, Botta has received numerous distinctions, among them the International Architecture Award from The Chicago Athenaeum and the Europa Nostra Award for the restoration of Teatro alla Scala in Milan.