 The figure of Gardella remained at the pinnacle of Italian architecture for all of the 1960s and '70s, with intense professional activity whose importance is proven by his presence in international publications.In the last phase of his life, Gardella, now among the "eminences grises" of Italian architecture, still produced significant projects, like the Faculty of Architecture of Genoa (1975–1989), which brought him once more to the front lines of the architectural debate.Gardella's activity has had a determining role in the field of design as well, starting as early as 1947, when he founded the "Azucena" Agency with Luigi Caccia Dominioni, the first that inaugurated Italian design production of high quality.