Italy has been home to many amazing artists and architects. In the 14th century, the world saw the Italian Renaissance period. The world’s very first architecture textbook, De Architectura was written by an Italian architect Marcus Vitruvius Pollio. History has appreciated many prominent Italian architects who are well known for their works worldwide such as Andrea Palladio, Giacomo Vignola, Filippo Brunelleschi, Michelangelo Buonarotti and Raphael Sanzio. This article concentrates on some of the prominent and significant Italian architects from the 19th century onwards.
Andrea Branzi
Known as the Mostro Sacro (sacred monster) of Italian Architecture, Andrea Branzi is known for having a number of his works shown in the main capitals of the world. Born in Florence in 1938, Andrea graduated in architecture in 1966 before moving to Milan during the 70s. He’s known for magnificent creations such as Superonda, which is a sofa that he designed in 1966 for Poltronova, as well as No Stop City (1969 – 1972).
Cino Zucchi
Frequently known for his label as “Best Architect in Milan”, this architect’s company, Cino Zucchi Architecture studio, is continually looking for some new spatial solutions for contemporary life within the delicate and rapidly evolving context of the European landscape.
Born in Milano in 1955, Cino counts the Pasila Central Tower area, Helsinki, Finland (2009) as one of his biggest achievements in architecture. The Milanese architect has designed and realised many commercial, public, industrial and residential buildings, public spaces, renewal plans and master plans for agricultural, industrial and historical areas.
Piero Lissoni
The Piero architect was born in 1956 and is believed to be a world-famous architect and designer who graduated in 1978 from the quite prominent Politecnico di Milano. In 1986 he opened Lissoni Associates together with Nicoletta Canesi and ever since then he has led innovative projects.
Today his studio is made up of a staff of over 60 people and has projects which cover all design fields such as architecture, interiors, industrial design and graphics project. Through his works, we will see the emerging world of architecture in Italy and in the world reflected in his hospitality projects, furniture designs and innovative ideas that are as impressive as today’s Canadian online slots.
Filippo Juvarra
As well as being a designer of stage sets, Filippo Juvarra quickly earned a name as one of Italy’s finest architects of the 18th century. After being employed by Victor Amadeus II of Savoy, Juvarra would find that his services would be in high demand.
One such famed work for the family of Savoy is the basilica church of Superga. While this double functioning building (monument as well as royal mausoleum) was well received, it took substantial time and money to finish in a demanding 14-year timespan.
Nonetheless, Juvarra worked on a run of church-related projects involving designs of the churches of San Filippo and Santa Croce, the Basilica della Natività as well as the chapel of San Giuseppe in the Turin church of Santa Teresa. Juvarra’s fondness for elaborate and ornate design formed the keystone of many of his works.