BUILD February 2017

, Mattia Parmiggiani is the owner and director of MATTIA PARMIGGIANI ARCHITECTS, recent winners of the 2016 BUILD Awards Architect of the Year in Italy. To celebrate their success, this article looks into the work of this Italian architectural studio and their specialisation in architecture, interior design, spatial innovations, exhibition design and brand communication. Beauty Is in the Eye of the Beholder MPA is based in Italy (head office) with a branch office in Moscow and it has been working in Russia since 2004. Mattia Parmiggiani has almost 20 years of experience across most sectors of the building construction, interior design and design research. Much of this experience has been international. MP is the art director for Atlas Concorde Group, one of the leading tile manufacturers in Italy, looking after their corporate image, trade fair exhibitions, events and communications strategies. He is also art director for the Russian company KGZ. His work includes creating innovative concepts for public and private companies, interior and vision design, exhibition design, corporate image brand design and building site management. MPA is partner of Manfriday | MPA Moscow, a design and communications company, in partnership with MPA Italy, with representatives in Moscow who manage and develop projects in Russia. MP currently is the principal design architect for the new Coca Cola HQ in Moscow. His professional work encompasses various areas of project development, from town planning to architecture and design. He is currently working on projects in Japan, Korea, Israel, United Kingdom, Emirates, United States and Russia, as well as in Italy. Since 2004, he has been working in Moscow. In 2009, he became a member and a chartered architect of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) in London, UK. When taking on a new client or project, our design approach is driven by the desire to deliver buildings which are as functionally efficient and high-performance as they are visually innovative. What sets us apart from other companies in this industry is that MPA’s think thank approach offers integrated project delivery from the concept to the completion. Our research is the essential ingredient of our core business, that allows us to create innovative and creative proposals. Our team is our greatest asset; indeed, we promise to deliver design excellence with innovative, creative and functional solutions to suit our clients from low budget requirements to even the most complex design challenges with the same level of services. In terms of distributing our knowledge and experience within the wider industry, I think the only way to describe your experiences is through the work that you do. When I am invited to speak at conferences, I try to communicate the joy of always being involved in different projects. I believe that every place is like a musical instrument, which of course amplifies and produces its own sound. One of the MPA objectives is to support the delivery of good design projects and spaces that are innovative and add values. Our aim is to help our clients to achieve this goal. To create innovative solutions to maintain our success, I would say that in today’s world you cannot use only one single architectural language, but rather you need a multitude of languages drawing upon all forms of expression available in our contemporary landscape. We are interested in the synesthetic interaction between sight and other senses, in order to introduce a sensual and emotional involvement to the project. Contemporary society is living in chaos and needs more and more elastic and seductive visions. When asked what our most successful project is to date, I do not think that there must necessarily be a special project. They say that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ I am therefore convinced that whatever the new project is, one has to be able to bring out the invisible emotions which deeply move us. The future Our future project is to continue developing the work we have created over the years. MPA’s work is a profound commitment to finding innovative concept design solutions, with dedication to contemporary projects and the potential of materials. This is achieved with the help of a working methodology and a spirit of curiosity and experimentation. ‘Even though we work in different countries, the work we do in Italy is nevertheless always tailor- made and made to measure:: we take care of every single stage of the process. I think the market is moving precisely in this direction: tailor-made projects with their own DNA, not generic ready- made projects. I think it was the great fashion designer Paul Smith who said “You can take inspiration from anything, you only need to know how to look at things”. I believe this is a truly intelligent statement that I infinitely agree with. K Company: MATTIA PARMIGGIANI ARCHITECTS (MPA) Name: Mattia Parmiggiani Email: [email protected] [email protected] Web Address: www.mparchitects.it Address: 985 int 6 via Emilia Est 41122 Modena - Italy Telephone: +39 059 366029 , +39 059 3681232 1702BU28 Architecture & Design