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ISS UE - n° 30 - 202 2 - € 10
ph. Germano Borrelli
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COLLECTING
INSPIRATIONS
He takes the insights life provides every day and channels it into house and yacht design. Luca Bombassei describes the way he thinks, constantly seeking an interface between architecture and art by Marta Bernasconi - ph. Courtesy of Luca Bombassei Studio Projects
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n architect and artist who combines the two essential
aesthetic awareness inspired by a close relationship with
qualities of beauty and utility. This was the type
the art world. “The common thread running through all my
of person regarded as the ideal in Humanist age,
work is my love for all forms of artistic expression. To me,
and it’s a description that neatly fits Luca Bombassei, an
art is a source of inspiration, constantly new stimuli that I
architect with an international training who operates from his
then transfer into my designs“. This creative process also
studios in Milan and Bergamo. The Bergamo base is located
benefits from the input of spontaneous experience. “It can
inside the Kilometro Rosso Innovation District. From urban
happen during a stroll through the Venice Biennale, among
planning to design, his work combines technology with an
all the materials, forms and colours, but increasingly when
ph. Germano Borrelli
Opposite page, details of furniture and objects created by architect Luca Bombassei. Product design is part of his varied portfolio of design skills. Above, the archtect has studios in Milan and Bergamo. The Bergamo base is located inside the Kilometro Rosso Innovation District. The common thread running through all his work is his love for all forms of artistic expression
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I meet people from related fields, like collectors. They often ask me to place an art work in context within a design, so when starting from a work to set in a room you begin to design a wall, a dining room and bit by bit an entire project”. Another element that exerts a strong influence on the architect’s work is light. “I’ve lived in Copenhagen, where very long days are followed by equally long nights. During that period I developed a sharp eye
His passion for art is reflected
for lighting and the effect it can have on people’s lives.
in the way Luca Bombassei
I always think about how to reproduce natural light or
works – he often receives
materials that reflect and refract light in a very exciting
requests to create a setting
way”. Considering new methods of interaction between
around a piece of art, which
people is another constant in Luca Bombassei’s work.
becomes an active element
An especially interesting outcome is his project for the
in the interior design concept
spaces of the Deloitte Digital Studio in Milan, where the architect has defined an innovative work format anticipating the changes imposed by lockdown. “I wanted to find an alternative to the conventional fixed desk. We experimented with a use of space that enabled more flexible work modes – working while you cook together or playing team games on a conference table that also transforms into a table tennis table. After experiencing the definitive disappearance of the traditional home/work duality over the past two years many of the architect’s clients are now ready to rethink living spaces, assigning an active use to spaces originally intended for business purposes. Now we come to the nautical project by Luca Bombasse for the interiors of Ferretti’s Navetta 42. “While retaining the traditional yacht layout the interior reflects an almost urban residential living concept. The result is a sort of house where you can enjoy a different view every day”. A second aspect of the project was the desire to make the interiors fit the presence of art works, so they would not simply look like status symbols to be shown off. “Those who know and appreciate it spritually ask me to find a way of contextualising a work. Sometimes I have to think more like an art advisor than a designer”. The element of his experience in yacht-building he considers most enlightening is the collaboration with the parallel world of the artisans and experts who work with the big yards. “They’ve taught me to think in a different way about spaces and the sense of proportion, and it’s a ph. GermanoBorrelli
useful lesson that’s influenced my residential design. For example, when restructuring an old farmhouse in Puglia I reproduced a bathroom designed for the limited spaces of a yacht inside an old bread oven. Working on yachts has enabled me to think outside the box”. And to overcome all obstacles, transforming them into opportunities. 136
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ph. Andrea Ferrari
ph.CustomLineFerretti
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Luca Bombassei’s work also extends to the yacht-building world. He is responsible for the interiors of the Navetta 42, which embody an idea of
ph.CustomLineFerretti
contemporary luxury. While retaining the traditional yacht layout the interior reflects an almost urban residential living concept
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