Architecture Competition Iceland Greenhouse Restaurant 3rd prize winners – Simone Miraglia and Celeste Mangone

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the 3rd prize winners of our "Iceland Greenhouse Restaurant" competition – Simone Miraglia and Celeste Mangone from Italy!

3rd prize winners from Italy

MIRAMANGO is not a company but it is the space in which we cultivate our passion. It was born from two young professionals, who met at the University of Calabria, who have been cultivating a passion for architecture and design for several years. While waiting for our space to materialize into an actual reality, we work in two important Italian architectural firms.

Brief information about the projects that you/your company have been involved with. For instance, what scale have you focused on/preferred, any significant projects where the company/ individuals have been involved?

Simone: I work in the Milan office of an architecture studio and currently I deal with the development of projects in the preliminary phase, participation in architectural competitions and tenders. The main planning themes concern the educational and residential fields. I prefer to design medium/large public buildings, but in general, in any scale I find stimuli and ways of expressing myself, up to the passion for detail!

Celeste: I work in an architecture studio at the Milan office and I deal with the design at different levels, from the preliminary and concept phases, to the final and executive phases. The work in this studio allows me to work in different areas ranging from design from scratch to the reuse of the existing one. This last theme particularly fascinates me because I love to see how forms of architecture of the past interact with the contemporary one!

What does architecture mean to you and what is the role of an architect in your society?

For us, architecture is a process that brings together ideas of all kinds: engineering, artistic, environmental, economic, functional, aesthetic, pedagogical, anthropological, etc. The result of this process is a work that has the ability to integrate and interact with the environment in order to build the cultural identity of the city. Our role as Architects/Planners is therefore to create a space in which all these needs find balance.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

Participating in competitions is a way to test ourselves and deal with new and unknown themes. These are opportunities for competition and research, which allow us to get to know places, cultures and new ideas. Participation in competitions is also a way to interact with other designers, to understand how they have faced the same theme. We think this is very stimulating for our cultural and professional growth.

What advice would you give to individuals who struggle to decide whether it would be beneficial for them to participate in architecture competitions?

Participating in an architecture competition, but in general in the challenges of life, has positive implications in any case: it puts us in front of personal challenges, makes us aware of our abilities and stimulates us to do better and better. Furthermore, comparing yourself with other people can only increase your knowledge base. So don't stand there thinking about it, but put it into play!