Architecture competition "Pape Nature Park Gateway" Honorable mention - Guido Mitidieri

We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the winners of one of our Honorable mentions for the “Pape Nature Park Gateway” competition - Guido Mitidieri from Italy!

Guido Mitidieri from Italy

I am a young architect, I was born in Italy and I am based in Finland where I have found my real love. Finland has opened me up to a new atmosphere of art and creation. I base my art and architecture on slow and caring processes. I research using different tools: hand drawings, wood models, book research and photos. In this way my final pieces are deeply influenced by the process of creation and by the experiences I have during it. I collaborate with other artists and architects and I am open to new collaborations, techniques and methods.

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 company/ individuals have been involved.

In the last two years I worked on more than 15 projects. I attended the Master on Wood Architecture Wood Program at Aalto University and I built a wooden theatre and pavillion with an international team of 20 fantastic architects. After that I realized an exhibition of sculpture in Taiwan for Casagrande Laboratory. I work on different scales, from small pavillions, to houses and terraces. I prefer the works where I can imagine and control the entire process of realization: from concept to construction. At the same time I continue my 1:1 Environmental Art work in the forests and countryside. I can say that I am an in between artist: between architecture, art and landscape.

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

Architecture is, for me, a process of knowledge. We know the world from different points of view every time we visit a place: the characteristics of a space influence our psychophysic complex being. In this way architecture means to me to create a machine to see the Earth, to have an experience and the possibility to touch other universal dimensions. Architecture is part of the universe, it is a small detail made out of natural elements coming from the planet. In this way architecture is an art of giving and the architect is a person who is able to produce gifts for people. It doesn't matter about the dimension and amount of a money a gift is paid, if it is done with care and heart it is something able to heal the being, redirecting the planet's energy.

Why do you participate in architecture vision competitions?

I really like to design for architecture competitions. First of all, being such a small and independent artist, the fact that these competitions are anonymous is a big advantage. I can compete with bigger studios and firms on the same level,and in an open market i can build and design something that is much more complex. I enjoy this experience as a process of research that I use to test some of my personal perspectives. I do these works with a serious eye on technique, materials and clients and another free eye on artistic research, drawing techniques and spatial atmosphere.

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

I think these competitions are a really good instrument to test yourself and your ideas, to experiment with and get more accurate in your creative process. You can experiment the high energy flux of doing a competition in 3 weeks, or you can really go in deep and use 6 months to create a unique piece for yourself. I use this experience to keep my mind fresh and active in constant movement. It's up to you!