In 2016, he won “Architetto Italiano” prize for his dedication in architecture. His projects show history and places’ culture.
1. Let’s start with the first question. If I think of some of your renovation projects, such as Sigmundskron or Casa Knoll to get to Kellerei Tramin, it seems clear that your dialogue with the pre-existent is not designed to support him in language. Could you tell us about your approach to the project in cases of renewal?
You are completely right. We absolutely do not support the pre-existing language.
The old remains old, the new becomes new and speaks the language of this time. It is difficult to speak a Baroque language today because we are no longer in that period. We can not understand the old because it was born in a completely different society. We have to leave things exactly as they were and try to interpret it. Leave it there as something with a strong character and put it something of our time, our problems and our society.
2.In your projects we can see very well this approach. In renovations often you use materials that couldn’t exist at time of building construction.
Yes, we also use different materials to differentiate ourselves from the old. Many times when we start to work in old buildings we see different interventions made previously that unfortunately are no longer distinguished. We have difficulty dating them, we don’t understand what period they are. We want to avoid this because we think we are not owners of those buildings. Those who will come later will have to have the possibility to easily understand what we have done. If he doesn’t like it, they can take it away, to find what we have found.
The interventions must be interventions of our time and therefore traceable to our period.
3. So, you are opposed to a restoration aimed at restoring the building of the past?
The word restoration is wrong for us. Restoration isn’t right for the architecture. Architecture is an organism we make for people. An organism that we need for life. Restoring means preserving a dead thing and I don’t like it. To preserve a ruin without anyone living there is to transform architecture into sculpture. Architecture means living a space. Precisely for this reason we instead try to relive the old buildings and don’t talk about restoration but revitalization.
4. I think that many people, while seeing Timmelsjoch Experience Pass Museum project, have a sense of wonder and amazement linked to they ask how it can balance. Could you tell us how this project was born?
When we intervened the border between Austria and Italy was gone. The idea was to make this element visible with architecture. The foundation of the building is in Austria while the free ledge goes to Italy. We have built freely between the two countries precisely to highlight the disappearance of borders.
As for the construction aspect, the foundation is a heavier block than the rest of the building which has two side walls that function as lintels. They are two large beams connected by the roof, and floor so statically it is not so difficult to achieve. It is all in reinforced concrete, thrown with chipboard panels to obtain a surface texture that conveys a sense of lightness to concrete. This object literally “floats” on the border.
5. In Timmelsjoch Erfahrung Granat and Kellerei Tramin projects, the exoskeleton becomes the protagonist of the project. Why this choice?
The winery has about two hundred farmers as partners and for the approval of the project we needed a strong and clear message where everyone recognized each other.
The most important thing was to understand to the farmers that the fundamental element that they use to make wine is the vine and the exoskeleton that we have built is its stylization. Starting from this, the grapevine becomes the constructive element.
During the presentation of the project, already from the first images of the structure, everyone recognized the vine that surrounded the building and unanimously approved the project.
6. So, according to you, we could say that a good project is recognized if we can tell it in a few words?
I describe you the project of Casa Knoll in a few words. From an old artifact of the Middle Ages where, a century ago, they had put a temporary roof, we removed the roof and let the light fall into the ruins. Trees have grown inside it. Once the trees were closed with glass we got a place to live. A few words to explain the project, this is the essential. The idea must be able to be told today, tomorrow or even in 100 years. It can age the artifact, but not the idea that generated the project.
7. Looking at your biography, we see that you have attended in several architectural competitions. Among these there are different types. What do you think are the best ones to select a good project?
In my opinion the best type is the competition of ideas by invitation with some free participants. So don’t waste ideas with 300 or 400 projects where nobody gets paid. Studies must be selected and their work must be paid. I often take part in juries and judge in competitions with 300 participants is difficult and some projects can escape. If the number is contained instead we can do a quality job also as a jury.
At the moment, with our studio we participate only in invitational competitions.
8. Remaining on the subject of competitions, would you do it in two phases or in another way?
No, I would do them in a single phase. Also due to the fact that usually the two phases do not allow young people to participate. In fact, in the two phases, references are often requested. To give an example, even if I have never built a church, it is not said that he does not know how to design it. The project does not need many phases, to represent an idea, just a sketch. Moreover, whoever wins the competition participates in all the phases of the project until its execution.
9. So you would like the works director to be entrusted to the designer?
Absolutely yes. We take an assignment only if it is assured that we can participate in all its phases. Making a joke I do not want to say that we want to be part of it until the paintings hang, but almost! The building becomes of the client when it is finished, all the previous phases must be discussed together. A beautiful idea if not realized by its designer results in a building without a soul.
To give a soul to the building, the architect who designed it must be present on site.
10. How is your study organized?
We are always maximum in four. Thanks to this choice I can really do the architect, otherwise if the structure was bigger I would be a manager. With this small studio I can do everything. I design the sketches, I realize the model, I go to the construction site, I talk to the client and I build a bond. This is the architect’s job, what I wanted to do when I decided to become an architect. Others are architects but they lose the habit of going to the construction site and having relationships with the artisans. This disappears if the studio gets bigger, so I decided to stay very small to handle projects almost by myself. As a child, the project must be followed step by step, it must be seen growing, the problems must be identified. This is the architect’s job and it’s nice to see him until the end.
11. Looking at the Messner Mountain Museum Firmian and Timmelsjoch Pass Museum projects, I would like to ask you this question. During the project how does it relate to the structural part? In some cases it seems that the face becomes a protagonist.
I would say this: the structure is not a thing that limits our thoughts because we are of the opinion that everything is feasible. A good engineer must be able to calculate everything. Looking at the cinema, when we presented it hanging on four ropes, it seemed impossible. For what we believe feasible in our head we always find a structuralist or an engineer who calculates it.
11. Now a question that I will not do only to you but also to other studies. Why in the areas of northern Italy bordering Austria and Switzerland, and in particular in the Trentino-Alto Adige region, is it possible to find high-quality architecture studies more easily than in the rest of the country?
The reason is that quality generates quality. For example, when we started, our valley was very conservative, for example the flat roof wasn’t allowed. The first house we made was my home; it was a homeless house, and in the area, to put it mildly, it was “big noise”. However, someone has seen great quality in construction and other people have begun to desire it. People start wanting quality when they see quality. In my opinion this is the criterion. Each beautiful work brings someone who sees it and who also wants quality.
12. What is the duty of architecture and therefore also of the architect who creates it?
This is a very difficult question. I think it would be nice if there was always a question. Let me explain better, in my opinion there is no common rule for architecture because there are many approaches and explanations about the architect should and should not make. It would be enough for architects to ask at least that question. In Italy there are about 50,000 architects and seeing the result that we can produce, I would say that many don’t ask this question. One thing that I always wonder when the clients come to me is if I would like to live in a house like the one I am building, if I would do it better or otherwise. We need to think about the needs of the client and how we can do well. If every architect did his best in his small way, we would already have a lot.
13. Remaining on this subject, I ask you one last question. Don’t you think it’s a mistake that architects are defined or even worse do they call themselves technicians?
We aren’t technicians. The technicians produce “dead houses”. They make machines. That’s exactly what architects do not have to do! We have to produce buildings, “livable” spaces, and if this were to succeed we would all be happier.
