Architecture Competition Omuli Museum Of The Horse Honorable mention – Fiorentino De Martino and Laura Kranich

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to one of our Honorable mention winners for our “Omuli Museum Of The Horse” competition – Fiorentino De Martino and Laura Kranich from Germany!

Fiorentino De Martino and Laura Kranich from Germany

Fiorentino De Martino and Laura Kranich studied architecture but with a different focus. 

Fiorentino De Martino is an Italian architect based in Berlin, Germany. He has more than 10 years of working experience and has collaborated with different architectural practices in Berlin and in Florence, Italy.

Fiorentino studied architecture and urban planning in Naples and in Florence, where he graduated in 2009 with summa cum laude. Immediately after he was admitted to the doctorate program of architecture and urban planning at the University of Florence, where he was teaching as an assistant professor for architectural design. 
Fiorentino specialized on design in existing contexts and researched these relationships exemplified by the interventions of the Italian architect Piero Bottoni in the old city of Ferrara, Italy. He earned his PhD in 2013.

Since a very young age, Fiorentino has had a passion for different fields of art and design, from architecture and interior design, to object design, photography and drawing.

Laura Kranich is a German architect who lives and works in Berlin, Germany, as well.

She completed her Master’s degree in architecture after 6 years at the Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus, Germany. Subsequently, she continued studying urban planning there for 2 more years and earned a second Master's degree. While studying, Laura gained her first working experiences in Bavaria, where she participated in a project for a recreational facility. Currently she is working in Berlin on a large-scale project for a media company. She has about 5 years of working experience in Germany.

For Laura, a building has to fit into its surroundings. She likes to delve into a project from concept to detailed design in the form of drawings, planning processes and texts.

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



Fiorentino works on projects of different scales, varying from large-scale public and commercial buildings to small-scale residences and interior design. Currently he is working in a collaboration with a Berlin office on the extension of a historical spa building with a new cultural center building and garden near Frankfurt, Germany. He was also working on different projects, including commercial, retail, offices, entertainment, education and residential.

Currently Laura works for a Berlin-based office on detailed design of a large commercial building in Munich. She coordinates various planning experts and ensures that the realisation of the building and interior design corresponds to the plan.

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

For us, architecture is present in all spheres of life and influences all of us through form, space and functionality.

Architects have the task to create sustainable, well-working and attractive spaces that represent and respect the genius loci (spirit of a place). Our goal is to create and strengthen the connection between space and people by creating an architecture that  inspires, motivates people and helps promote a local identity.

Why do you participate in architecture competitions?

We participate in architectural competitions because we want to act together to realize a common vision on an architecture that respects and links its local surrounding, environment and people.

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

An architectural competition gives one the opportunity to develop a concept with minimal restrictions. One can choose the desired project, the team members, the design and much more.

It can broaden one's horizons, inspire, motivate, and make a change.