We’d like to take the opportunity to introduce you to the Honourable mention winners for our “SKYHIVE 2020 Skyscraper Challenge” competition - Piero Lissoni, Joao Silva, Fulvio Capsoni and Davide Apolloni from Italy.

Piero Lissoni, Joao Silva and Fulvio Capsoni 

With offices in Milan and New York, Lissoni & Partners has a thirty-year history in developing international projects in the fields of architecture, landscape, interior, product and graphic design, in addition to being responsible for the art direction for some of the most influential design companies.

Led by Piero Lissoni, the practice combines a range of expertise with a tailored approach that sets it apart, establishing a stylistic code and a visual identity that are clearly and instantly recognizable.

The practice’s work is inspired by a sense of rigor and simplicity and is characterized by a regard to detail, coherence and elegance with particular attention to proportion and harmony.

Organised around different fields of intervention, the practice comprises Lissoni Casal Ribeiro for masterplans, landscape design, architecture, Lissoni Associati for interior design, product design, art direction and fit-outs and Lissoni Graphx for graphic design, visual communication and brand identity, while Lissoni New York develops interior design projects for the American market.

LISSONI CASAL RIBEIRO is the department dedicated to masterplans, architecture and landscape design. Each stage of the design process is backed up by extensive research, studies, hand drawn sketches, 3D renderings and BIM modelling, as well as small and large-scale models developed by the in-house workshop. This department also includes a team that develops entries for idea and design competitions, approaching the projects from different perspectives and proposing original and innovative ideas. Piero Lissoni has received a series of international awards, including the Good Design Award, the Red Dot Award and the Compasso d'Oro ADI. He is a Board Member of the MAXXI National Museum for the Arts in Rome and a visiting professor and part of the Advisory Board at the Politecnico di Milano. He also serves as an Honorary Member of the Altagamma International Council.

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?

Current projects include Hotel and Residences Dorottya in Budapest, SLS Lux Hotels & Residences in Washington D.C., the Miami Beach Ritz-Carlton Residences, apartments at 45 Park Place in New York, the Hilton Tbilisi hotel in Georgia and private villas in Amsterdam, New York and Mumbai.

Completed architectural projects include the Grand Park Hotel in Croatia (2019), the restyling of the historic Camparino bar in the Galleria of Milano (2019), The Middle House for the Swire Hotels Group in Shanghai (2018), The Oberoi Al Zorah Beach Resort Ajman in the UAE (2017), the 240-unit condominium Oceana Bal Harbour in Miami (2017), the Casa Fantini hotel on the shores of Lake Orta (2017), the Sanlorenzo yachts SX88 (2017) and SX76 (2018), the Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam (2012), the renovation of the historic Teatro Nazionale in Milan (2009) in addition to the corporate headquarters of Boffi, Cassina, Fantini, Glas Italia, Living Divani and the Sanlorenzo shipyards in La Spezia and Ameglia.

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

Today, more than ever, architecture plays one of the most important roles in our society. What we build is not a product made by mother nature but something artificial that we think is right for our society and for our lives. For a long time, we were wrong about our ways of thinking and today, time is running out. Our planet is paying a huge price for the errors we are still making. Let’s be aware that what we build will last for 30, 50 years or even more. So, it gives us, “the architects”, the biggest responsibility of all. For the sake of our planet, let’s think and build a responsible society with an eye for the sustainability of our children and our planet.

Why do you participate in architecture vision competitions?

Architecture vision competitions are one of the best ways to express the most innovative ideas. And knowing that a lot of people will participate anonymously gives even more stimulus to think of more driven and revolutionary projects.

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

If you have innovative ideas and want to share them, step forward.

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