Biography
Born on 1 April 1943 in Mendrisio, Ticino (Switzerland).
Apprenticeship in Lugano with architects Carloni and Camenisch.
From 1961 to 1964: fine arts high school in Milano.
From 1965 to 1969: Venice University Institute of Architecture; degree obtained in 1969 under the supervision of Carlo Scarpa and Giuseppe Mazzariol. During this period he also met, and worked with, Le Corbusier and Louis I. Kahn. In 1969, he opened his own office in Lugano.
1970: beginning of career and architectural research that would result in many creations around the world.
In parallel, he gave lectures and seminars at various architecture schools in Europe, Asia and America:
1976: visiting professor at the Ecole polythechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).
1983: appointed tenured professor at EPFL.
1987: visiting professor at the Yale School of Architecture in New Haven.
In 1996, he founded a school of architecture in Mendrisio, Ticino. He has since built up and developed the school’s study programme and curriculum. He was appointed director of the school in 2002-2003 and again for 2011-2013.
Distinctions and international awards:
1982-1987: member of the Swiss federal commission for fine arts.
1983: honorary member of the Bund Deutscher Architekten and the American Institute of Architects.
Church, Mogno © photos : Enrico Cano and Pino Musi
Church, Mogno © photos : Enrico Cano and Pino Musi
1988: Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, Paris. He received the AIA Merit Award for Excellence in Design for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Many exhibitions have been devoted to his work.
Architecture and memory are inseparable when architectural changes are introduced in a human environment. Basic geometrical shapes and the use of natural light to generate space are the main characteristics of his architectural style. Since he first started with family homes in the canton of Ticino, he has branched out into many different kinds of constructions: schools, banks, administrative buildings, libraries, museums, religious buildings.
Architecture is his passion and he has always been committed to teaching and sharing his knowledge.
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