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ARCHITECTURE’S GREEN FACE
by Marta Bernasconi- ph. courtesy by Mario Cucinella Architects
Designing on a highly complex scale is his job, sail yachts are his great passion. Two worlds, professional and personal, that share the same fundamental vision, combining well-being for clients with deep respect for the environment
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ph. Giovanni Gastel
Sketch of the design for the Rovati Foundation Museum and a portrait of the architect . His passion for the sea inspires his respect for humankind and nature. “To me, a yacht is a place for sharing, of living together. My dream is a craft that generates its own energy and creates no pollution during or after its lifetime”
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A
common theme runs through this architect’s impressive portfolio of work carried out with his studio, founded in Paris in 1992 and now based in Bologna and Milan.
It is an awareness that every project is an opportunity to improve quality of life for individuals and the wider community, and that environmental sustainability should be an ideal, not just a brief. In Mario Cucinella’s work, aesthetics are driven by ethics. “The challenge today is to rediscover a new friendship between the environment and responsible architecture. Construction is never neutral or entirely ecological, so we must be aware of our role and how we use resources”. Although there is still much progress to be made, the architect is examining the possibility of building better and with almost zero impact, being able to construct buildings from recovered materials, avoiding the use of new raw materials. This intriguing challenge is also being taken up by product design, too – with his SOS School of Sustainability he has created a series of objects using material obtained by recycling so-called “dirty” plastics that in the linear economic model would go to disposal or incinerated. Yes, plastics. Mario Cucinella is also a passionate sail yachtsman, and the insight into the condition of our seas and coastlines this provides troubles him deeply. “I was born in Genoa, some of my friends had yachts and we could be in open water in only a few minutes. Then my work kept me away from the sea but
Above, the Rovati Foundation Musem; above,
three years ago I started sailing again, with my Vismara 46, a hybrid
right, a render of the Ospedale San Raffaele:
of race yacht and light, fast cruiser. Seeing the state of the marine
a search for quality and beauty in the interiors
environment upset me. Sail yachts are small houses and we have a
humanises the care facilities. project inspired
duty to build and experience them with respect for such a fragile
by the city-garden model
equilibrium. Composite materials are hard to dispose of, so why not use more suitable materials? I’m not just talking about wood, a wonderful material, but also specially treated fabrics, resin…there’s a whole new world to explore. This also applies to the yacht industry, although awareness of these issues is growing”. For his yachts and his designs, Cucinella prefers a style that respects functionality, based on simplicity and clean lines. He has an aesthetic attraction to
Hub. The imposing Torre Unipol is also taking shape in Milan.
Wally designs and has a deep affection for an all-wood Sciarrelli 54’
One project that means a lot to me is the TECLA, a 3D-printed
that he believes is a testament to a grand tradition in Italian design.
house made of naturally-occurring clay that will be presented
A relationship with the environment is also a crucial element in the
this year. In the upcoming months we’ll be opening a small
50-footer project he is currently involved in. “With advice from my
church dedicated to Santa Maria Goretti in Mormanno,
skipper Tommaso Stella and Oris d’Ubaldo of Skyron, a designer
Province of Cosenza, and a library at Peccioli, near Pisa. They
with a focus on sustainability, we’re thinking about hull made of
are a response to the relaunch of interiors that passes for
wood and natural fibres, materials with a low carbon footprint.
contemporary architecture. At the international level we’re
The technical features include an electric engine and systems that
working on a new museum in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia”. Creativity
generate no waste”. As well as the maritime project, MCA, Mario
informs every step the architect takes. “What interest me is
Cucinella Architects, is involved a series of other works in progress.
giving specific responses using different languages rather than
“This year we’re set to complete two large projects in Milan, the
approaching a project with the same response every time”. An
Rovati Foundation Etruscan Museum and the San Raffaele Surgical
architect and sail yachtsman who is constantly exploring.
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render by Engram Studio The studio is currently working on the Unipol tower project (below, left), now being completed. Below, right, a render of
render by Engram Studio
the TECLA, a dwelling made from reusable, recyclable materials and, bottom, a render of the SeiMilano urban development
Above left, the Bottega Ghianda tray created by the Spanish designer is a wonderful mix of textures and colours. Right, Nouances, a felt trim, is project that starts with the recycling of waste fibres left over from wool-making. For Gan
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