Within the new urban plan for the city of Bologna that positions the city at the heart of economic, cultural and scientific exchange, the competition proposal for Tecnopolo creates a technology hub marked by bold full-height beam structural elements. The project comprises technical laboratories, office spaces and other related supporting functions. The horizontal disposition of the functional composition and the multiplicity of open spaces facilitate the fluid circulation of people and ideas.

Sitting on a sloping south-facing lot in Karuizawa (Japan), the villa welcomes inhabitants and guests with a wall entirely clad in dark mineral resin. The internal courtyard, that connects with the transparent two-story volume of the living area without interruptions, is concealed by the bold unicolor external structure. Characterized by two-story wooden window frames and the large sloped pitch of the roof that appears as the “fifth facade” of the house, the house establishes a continuing dialogue with the surrounding natural setting thanks to the use of dark elements.

The competition entry for the Königinstrasse residential development in Munich features two facade patterns that harmonize the new development with the streetscape and the surrounding ample green areas. The design evokes a classic elegance with the building’s predominantly light natural stone and bronze-colored profile. Inside, the spatial arrangement of three apartment units for each floor can be developed with a high level of flexibility to optimize the living spaces of residents. The glass elements of the outermost facade ensure complete privacy indoors, elegantly complementing the low structure of the building and enhancing its residential character.

The designs of Flexform’s stands for the Milan Furniture Fair emerge out of the long-standing relationship between Flexform and Antonio Citterio. The stands prioritize the design excellence expressed by the masterful creations, structuring the space in a way that conveys the values of the products with lightness and ease.

The competition entry for the office complex located on Tesdorpfstrasse 8 in Hamburg features two contrasting stone facades that take their cue from the neighboring buildings that accommodate different spatial scales. Situated next to the university, a train station and a congress center that suggest urban-scale movements in the surroundings, the office settles into the residential quarter with its elegantly curved and elongated volume. Welcoming open crossings between the inside and the outside connect the work space to public areas and to the nearby park through a water surface that recalls the Hamburg canals. The building is accessed through a central lobby on the ground floor connected to the office spaces on the upper floor, the executive floor, and the two-story underground parking area.

The architecture for a new 10-story office building rises above Osaka’s main shopping street. Nine floors of office space together with a roof-top terrace sit on a retail podium. The main facade is composed of sleek aluminum-clad load-bearing steel profiles that partially alleviate the load transferred to the five concrete and steel core columns. All insulating units are composed of low-emissivity glass, fitted for solar control purposes on the south and west facades. The rear of the building, clad in thin prefab light-grey concrete panels, contains the elevators and the open-air stairwell.

ACPV’s design for the interiors of the Barvikha Auditorium located in the Mercury Luxury Village just 20 kilometers from the center of Moscow is twinned with the design for the Barvikha Hotel & Spa. The Auditorium concludes the eastern end of the area’s pedestrian mall with a full-height hall clad in Canadian red cedar planks that frame the impressive internal space clad in American walnut and slate. The interior is dominated by the VIP mezzanine that outlines the rectangular volume of the main bar which provides an optimal place for exchange during intermissions.

In a historic zone of Manhattan that is undergoing a profound transformation, the Cooper Square Hotel houses 145 rooms on the upper levels of the tower building, while the ground floor and the first floor are dedicated to a set of functions open to the public. The interior design of the tower evokes a refined public character. The ground floor’s lobby and bar take their particular public character from the split slate flooring and from the shiny black tiles of the main bar’s ceiling that recall the nearby subway station. The rooms, entirely glazed and overlooking the rooftops of the East Village, have a residential atmosphere thanks to the wool felt flooring in the bedrooms and the stoneware used in the bathrooms.

The ideas competition proposal for the Camfin Eni masterplan catalyzes urban development on a multifunctional plot next to the Fiera Milano grounds. The core of the project is a commercial and services complex that integrates seamlessly with the surrounding Fiera offices and the intermodal transport stations to the east. The proposed solutions mediate between two hierarchical levels: the higher level of the design ensures connectivity to the primary networks, while the lower level relates to the connectivity of the internal functional elements.

The competition entry for the Hoheluft project in Hamburg comprises a four-story office volume resting on a ground floor with shopping and catering areas, and a first floor of office and ancillary spaces. Glass and stone form the double facade, providing both an efficient climate membrane and sound insulation against the road and railway embankment. The geometry of the development encompasses a terrace that reaches out over the embankment, ensuring a high level of visibility of the water surface that defines the district’s character. Without exceeding the dimensions of the neighboring buildings and adapting to the site with its articulated structure, the building becomes a concise reference point at a core urban development node.

On the Fiera Milano site, the competition entry proposes two horizontally distributed building volumes, each with 7 levels of office space. As an experimentation on the aesthetics of the ‘other’ which nevertheless merges with the morphology of the surroundings, the office building is designed in coherence with the particular industrial character of Milan’s exhibition complex. An 40m high empty floor separates the two blocks with a gesture of surprise and dramatic visibility. Solid in its structural characteristics, the building is divided into a dark grey volume on top with a lighter grey volume below.

The competition entry for Bonn’s Beethovenhalle re-contextualizes the concert hall in Germany’s former capital within modern settings. The architecture of the concert complex is centered around two halls with seating capacities of 1,500 and 500 people, each decorated with regenerated leather with optimal appearance and acoustic properties. Located between the banks of the Rhine and a public park, the complex’s solid volume and dark stone facade express a mysterious and massive quality. Incorporating a free play area with a view to the Rhine, the new elements merge with the existing forms in a masterful composition.

The architectural transformation of the Sartori summer colony in Sardinia revitalizes the beachfront hospitality complex which fell out of use in the 1980’s. The resort village is comprised of a main guest building dominated by the 5-floor high central volume with 40 guest rooms, 70 guest rooms in secluded nearby structures and supporting elements, including two pools. Conceived with environmental sustainability in mind, the hospitality complex provides flexible accommodation modalities that merge with the surrounding landscape and natural vegetation.

The competition entry for the Industrial Association in Perugia is articulated in two separate yet interconnected volumes, united in a solid architecture of defined and synthetic forms. In addition to the Industrial Association’s office headquarters, the complex integrates an auditorium and a café, along with exhibition and conference spaces. As a defining design element, the inert and neutral texture of concrete forms a sculpted mass with a muted surface that stands in harmony with the landscape around the office complex.

Located near the canals of the Navigli area in Milan, the competition entry for the Diocesan Museum reiterates the architectural principles and lines of the adjacent Basilica of Sant’Eustorgio and monasteries. The project reformulates the urban texture by taking its proportions and dimensions from the monument, supporting and amplifying its magnificent aesthetic effect on a wider scale. A new water flow system governs the symbolic relationship between the museum and the city – mirroring ancient Italian villages and their water streams and canal systems.

The restructuring of the historic building complex on the islands of Venice creates opportunities and shapes for luxury accommodation. The architectural design blends the historic roots and the aesthetics of the industrial area with the new spatial and environmental qualities of the development. The building uses reinforced concrete and polished steel, while the hotel’s interiors are characterized by a careful attention to detail. Using contemporary technologies and materials, the structural and architectural characteristics of the facade are maintained by integrating surface gaps that represent fragments of the area’s past in the new building.

The architectural and interior design for the family dwelling in Basel (Switzerland) enables a wide variety of uses and provides spaces for the activities of all residents. The spatial organization and the relationship between the building and the surrounding environment are formulated according to the needs of the children. In the nearly perfect square building shape, all corridors run around an inner courtyard along glass walls, allowing clear sightlines between the inside and the outside. While the ground floor unites with the outside space, bedrooms on the first floor and sports activities in the basement complete the functional requirements of the house. A simplified design language is used with the double insulated concrete layers, only interrupted by the large colored sliding screen panels of the facade that create a strongly graphic element.

For the hospitality facility on the Fiera Milano exhibition complex site, the competition entry proposes two independent yet interconnected towers with a height of 90m. Following the theme of verticality, the design establishes symbolic complementary and reciprocity between the two volumes. A vertical empty space splits the hotel complex with the shortest distance that can be achieved from an engineering perspective. Glass, metal and concrete allude to the industrial context, but their refined treatment in a mosaic-like composition create a welcoming environment for hotel guests.

The competition entry for the residential complex located in Milan’s Varesine location proposes four building volumes with inclining façade planes and eaves lines that harmonize the design with its settings, featuring a lowered profile towards the historic city center. With its natural stone complexion, the residential complex gains a landscape-like character on the street-front, and evokes a comfortable and quiet environment. The volumes are closed with wood and glass elements and a cantilevered balcony on each floor creates spacious openings to the surroundings.

Transforming into a place of liminal sensations, the showroom reaches beyond the rules of how luxury brands are ought to frame their interior. Entering the space, customers see a split-stone wall bearing a safe which recalls the history of the location as a jewelry store. In the ample spaces of the central area, punctuated and accented by industrial columns, a box structure functions as a fitting room space. A luxurious blend of elements, including a neon by Pier Paolo Calzolari, a chaise longue of Jean Prouvé, a Venini chandelier and Thonet chairs for children, create a harmonious ambiance of discord and multiplicity which exudes freshness with the potential of transitionary variations.