Andrea Maffei
Biographical notes
Born in Modena in 1968, Andrea Maffei graduated in architecture with honours from Florence University in 1994. After gaining experience in Italy at the Massimo Carmassi studio in Pisa, in 1997 he moved to Tokyo to work at the practice of Arata Isozaki.
He initially worked in the design team of the ceramics museum in Gifu (Japan) and later as project leader in the competition to create the new exit from the Uffizi museum, which they won in March 1999. From 1999 to 2001 he was project leader for the Al Wabrah villa owned by Sheik Al-Thani of Doha, Qatar and then for the extension project for the Qatar history museum in Doha, as well as many other competitions in various parts of the world. This has allowed him to travel around the world and come into contact with very diverse Asian and Middle Eastern cultures.
He became Arata Isozaki’s Associate and director of Italian projects. He was project leader for the design of the Turin ice hockey stadium, now known as Pala-Isozaki, a major project carried through for the 2006 winter Olympics. Designed right from the outset with a view to being used extensively after the Olympics, it now hosts concerts, conferences and events of various kinds. He also managed the project for the Olympic swimming pool and Piazza d’Armi park in Turin (2002-2006) and held the role of artistic director for these three construction sites in Turin.
In 2005 he opened his own practice in Milan, Andrea Maffei Architects srl, which has carried out many different projects in Italy and abroad.
He has won several competitions in Italy, including those for the new Bologna station (2008) and the new offices of the Bergamo province (2009). He also took part in the major competition to enlarge the city of Montecarlo (2007-2008), which aimed to extend the city over the sea in the form of a new peninsula with residences, hotels, museums and offices (with A. Isozaki).
He created the projects for the new Uffizi museum exit (2007), the new Maranello library (2009), opened in 2011, and the Imprima Buildings in Bergamo.
He is currently working as designer and project signatory for the CITYLIFE project in Milan (with A. Isozaki), for the construction of a large office and residential complex in the former trade fair area. The project includes a 207-metre 50-floor tower block, a square at the centre of the complex with a metro station and a number of residential buildings.
Alongside his professional activity, Maffei also writes for various architecture magazines. Since 1997 he has been a contributor to the architecture magazine CASABELLA (editor Prof. Francesco Dal Co), publishing various projects and texts on contemporary Japanese architecture. He edited the magazine’s special issue on Japan in March 2000. He is the author of “Toyo Ito, works, texts, writings”, published by Electa in 2001.
Awards
2007 Milano Finanza Real Estate Award –Best residential project
2009 Milano Finanza Real Estate Award –Best public-private project
Conferences and academic work
From 2000 to 2002 he worked as visiting professor in architectural design at Waseda University of Tokyo, on the course led by Prof. Osamu Ishiyama.
Alberto Meda
Biographical notes
Born in Tremezzina (Como) in 1945, Alberto Meda graduated in mechanical engineering from Milan Polytechnic in 1969.
In 1973 he became technical director of Kartell, heading up product development of the labware division and the furnishing accessories division. In 1979 he became a freelance designer, collaborating with Brevetti Gaggia and for four years from 1981 onwards working on the design of Alfa Romeo cars.
He currently works as an industrial designer with a number of companies including Alias, Alessi, Arabia-Finland, Cinelli, Colombodesign, Italtel Telematica, JcDecaux, Mandarina Duck, Ideal Standard, Luceplan, Kartell, Omron Japan, Philips, Olivetti. Kohl and Vitra.
Exhibitions
“Creativitalia” (Tokyo 1990) and a personal exhibition at the Design Gallery of Matzuia Ginza (Tokyo 1990).
18th Triennale, ‘La leggerezza’ section of ‘Il Giardino dellle cose’ (Milan 1992)
“Mestieri d’autore” (Siena 1993)
“Mutant materials in contemporary design” at MOMA (New York 1995)
“Meda-Rizzatto” at Galerie Binnen (Amsterdam 1996)
Personal exhibition at the Salon du Meuble (Paris 1999)
“Italy and Japan, design as lifestyle” (Yokohama , Kobe 2001)
Teaching and research activities
From 1983 to 1987 lecturer in industrial technologies at Domus Academy
From 1995 to 1997, lecturer on the Degree Course in Industrial Design at Milan Polytechnic with a design workshop
From 1995 to 1997, member of the board of directors of Designlabor of Bremerhaven
From 2003 to 2007 lecturer at the IUAV in Venice with a design workshop on the master’s course in industrial design
Numerous conferences and seminars in Europe, Japan and the United States, including Chicago, St. Louis, the Washington University School of Architecture, Stockholm (with a workshop entitled ‘And now….”), Boisbuchet, Miami, Sao Paulo, Ulm. Istanbul, Toronto, and Mexico.
Awards
1989 Compasso d’Oro for the Lola lamp series, in 1994 for the Metropoli series and in 2008 for the Mix lamp by Luceplan
1992 Design Plus Internationale for the Titania lamp by Luceplan
1994 European Design Prize for his work with Luceplan.
1997 I.D. design review – “Best of category” for Meda chair for Vitra
1998 Good design Gold Prize-Japan with Vitra - Meda chair
1999 Designer of the year - Salon du Meuble de Paris
2000 Bundespreis Produktdesign 2000/2001 with Meda chair
2001 Good Design Award Chicago Athenaeum with Arabia’s Water
2003 Reddot Award for Iittala knives, Finland
2005 Hon. Royal Designer for Industry, London RSA
2006 Design Plus and Light of the future for MIX lamp by Luceplan
2007 INDEX: award with Solar Bottle
2011 Compasso d’Oro with Teak table by Alias
2012 Design Plus with Otto Watt by Luceplan
Since 1994, the chairs Light light 1987, Soft light 1989 and Longframe 1991 for Alias and the On-Off lamp 1988 for Luceplan have featured in the Design Collection at MOMA - Museum of Modern Art of New York.
Bibliography
Alberto Meda by Francesca Picchi
Collana Prontuario- Abitare Segesta edizioni- 2003
Il design di Alberto Meda-Una concreta leggerezza
By Domitilla Dardi , Ed. Electa 2005
Alberto Meda -I protagonisti del design- Hachette 2012
He lives and works in Milan.
Stefano Mirti
Stefano Mirti, designer (Id-Lab) and lecturer in design at Bocconi University in Milan, coordinates the Id-lab (Interaction Design Lab) projects in Turin. He graduated in architecture at Turin Polytechnic, where he also went on to do a research doctorate.
He studied for his post-doctorate in Japan (Tokyo University, Tadao Ando Lab) and subsequently taught at the Tama Fine Art Academy in Tokyo. Since 2006 he has been responsible for the NABA design programme and worked as a consultant for Turin World Design Capital 2008. From 2001 to 2005 he was Associate Professor at the Interaction Design Institute in Ivrea, an education and research institute created by Olivetti and Telecom Italia. From 2000 to 2001 he taught at Tama Art University (Tokyo) and carried through various design projects, including the polycarbonate house and neon gardens. He also set up Now the Future, a digital atlas that documents design initiatives and events all over the world. Before going to Japan, he was one of the founders of Cliostraat, a group of architects, artists and photographers who design buildings, parks, public structures and exhibition halls. Mirti has won the European Architectural Prize three times (in 1995, 1997 and 2001). In 2004 he won the Bronze Medal for Cultural Merits of the Republic of Italy. His work has been exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, at the Triennale in Milan, at the Biennale in Venice and at the Beijing First Biennale of Architecture.
Bettina Magistretti
Daniela Mainini
After graduating with full marks from the University of Milan Law Faculty in 1985 with a dissertation on criminal law, in 1988 she worked as a Justice of the Peace for the Province of Varese.
From 1989 to 1996 she worked as Honorary Deputy Prosecutor of the Italian Republic in Milan.
A barrister at the supreme court, since 1990 she has been registered on the roll of Barristers of Milan and is the founder of the Mainini and Associates law firm specialising in industrial criminal law and with offices in Milan and Rome. The Mainini and Associates law firm offers a high quality service in the field of corporate, fiscal, health and safety, environmental and information law. Daniela Mainini has also gained considerable experience in the drawing up of organisational, management and auditing models pursuant to Legislative Decree 8 June 2001 no. 231 and in consulting and training activities for numerous companies, including multinationals.
She is assistant professor to Prof. Ghidini in the field of Industrial Law at the Faculty of Industrial Law of the University of Milan.
From 1990 to 2002 she served as Secretary General of COLC Italia (Anti-Counterfeiting Committee), the first Committee set up in 1989 by more than 200 companies affected by the problem of counterfeiting.
She has been chairman of the Anti-Counterfeiting Study Centre at Centro Studi Grande Milano since 2002. On 7 December 2010 she received a certificate of civic merit from the Municipality of Milan “for her enlightened chairmanship capable of interpreting in ethical and economic terms the fight against counterfeiting and protection of Italian products”.
On 21 January 2011 she was appointed Chairman of the National Anti-Counterfeiting Council by the Minister for Economic Development Paolo Romani and delegated to represent the Ministry. The Council is the highest strategic and political body involved in combating counterfeiting at a national level, with the functions of guiding, driving and coordinating strategic actions undertaken by administrations to improve the set of actions for combating counterfeiting at a national level.
The Council consists of representatives of the Ministry of defence, the Ministry of foreign affairs, the Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies, the Ministry of Health, a representative of the Department of Public Administration and a representative of ANCI.
She works as a consultant for numerous trade associations and companies in the field of corporate criminal law. In recent years she has spoken at more than 100 events and has made numerous publications.
Edoardo Francesco Mazzilli
Edoardo Francesco Mazzilli, 51 , Degree in Law (University of Bari) and Master in Public Administration of Law, in 1988 become Official at verification Service in Ministry of Finance – Revenue Departament. From 1999 to 2002 is Officer at Prato Customs Office- Regional Directorate of Florence- servicing at the control office as deputy collector. In 2002 is Official in the Central Antifraud Office – Risk-Analysis Office. In 2003 Official in the Central Antifraud Office – Office for the coordination and the operational development ( Ufficio sviluppo e coordinamento operativo)
Activity in the following sectors: implementation of the CIS (Customs Information System); fight against counterfeiting, developing and coordinating the actions to combat this phenomenon both at national and international level. At national level, preparation of the tools to implement the community and national legislation (circular letters, guidelines, determinations); at international level, representing the Italian position with the European Commission - Counterfeiting Committee/Mutual Administrative Assistance Committee; protection of the made-in-Italy through instructions and determinations for central and local offices; responsible for drafting notes, presentations, reports on international meetings related to antifraud activity
From 2003 is Italian Coordinator of the European CIS system (Customs Information System); From 2003 to 2007 become Italian expert at Customs Code Committee- Counterfeiting section- working group created by the European Commission composed of MS experts in the counterfeiting sector. The Committee analyzed the draft of the new Community Regulation on the action by the customs authority concerning the goods suspected of violating IPRs and the relating measures to be taken (EC Reg. n. 1383/2003). From 2004 is Member of the Italian delegation to CCWP- Customs Cooperation Group, working group at European Union Council dealing with customs cooperation in the sector of Justice and Internal Affairs (III Pillar). In Febrauary and April 2007 is Italian delegate at Berlin meetings within the G8 expert group concerning IPR.
From September 2007 Head of Internal Audit Office of the regional direction for Lazio and Umbria, responsible for monitoring ordinary and antifraud control activities, checks performed in compliance with law 662/96, extraordinary checks and process auditing, for the latter being responsible for all kind of activities, including IT activities.
From January 2009 is Responsible for N.A.T.O. security secretariat
In November 2010 become Adviser of Investigation Parliamentary Commission on counterfeiting and piracy and Head of the Investigation Office of Central Antifraud Office
In May 2011 is Member appointed in representation of Italian Customs Agency at CNAC
Alessandro Mendini
Architect ALESSANDRO MENDINI was born in Milan. He has worked as editor of the magazines Casabella, Modo and Domus. Monographs about his work and his projects conducted with the practice Alchimia have been published in a number of languages.
His design work embraces objects, furniture, ambiences, paintings, installations and architecture. He cooperates with international companies such as Alessi, Philips, Cartier, Bisazza, Swatch, Hermés and Venini and works as a consultant for industrial companies worldwide, especially in the Far East, helping to solve problems relating to image and design. He is an honorary member of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design of Jerusalem. He won the Compasso d’oro award for design in 1979 and in 1981. He holds the title of “Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres” in France, as well as an honorary title from the Architectural League of New York and an honorary degree from Milan Polytechnic. He has held the appointment of professor of design at the Hochschule für Angewandte Kunst in Vienna and is honorary professor at the Academic Council of Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in China. His works are featured in numerous museums and private collections.
In 1989 he and his brother Francesco Mendini opened the practice Atelier Mendini in Milan. Their projects in Italy include Fabbriche Alessi in the town of Omegna; the new Olympic swimming pool in Trieste; a number of underground stations and restoration of the Villa Comunale in Naples; the Byblos Art Hotel-Villa Amistà in Verona; the Trend Group’s new offices in Vicenza; a tower in Hiroshima, Japan; the Groningen Museum in Holland; a district in Lugano in Switzerland; the Madsack office building in Hanover and a commercial building in Lörrach in Germany; the new Triennale building in Milan, the Exhibition Centre and Ceramic Museum in Incheon, South Korea, as well as other buildings in Europe and the USA. Atelier Mendini won the Gold medal for Italian architecture in 2003 at the Triennale in Milan for project for the Naples Metro and the Villeggiature Awards 2006 in Paris for the Byblos Art Hotel in Verona, as “Best Hotel Architecture and Interior Design in Europe”. He works as an urban planning consultant in a number of cities in South Korea.
Alongside his projects, he is also engaged in theoretical and written work encompassing art, design and architecture.
