 The Piuarch studio of architecture and urban planning was founded in Milan in 1996, and is directed by Francesco Fresa, Germán Fuenmayor, Gino Garbellini and Monica Tricario.
The associates Yusuke Aizawa, Cristina Castelli, Luca Lazzerotti, Andres Mahdjoubian, Mauro Mandelli and Miguel Pallares join the four founding partners in the work of the studio. Belonging to the new generation of European architects, the group works with the contributions of 35 professionals from Italy, the United States, Brazil, Venezuela, Japan, Spain, Turkey and Israel.
Every day they bring different ideas and cultures to the work as a whole, reinforcing the studio’s international outlook and approach. Indicated by the magazine “The Architectural Review” as one of the best emerging studios of the moment, Piuarch has worked for years with the fashion designers Dolce & Gabbana, on many projects, including the new D&G headquarters in Milan, the transformation of the former Metropol cinema to create a multifunctional space for fashion shows and events and, together with Studio Laviani, the design of many shops in Italy and abroad.
Besides developing the group’s tendency to work on an international scale, this contamination with the world of fashion has refined the design approach of the studio, moving in the direction of the most “seductive” aspects of architecture. While conserving a simple, rigorous approach, the projects also contain great attention to detail, generating the distinctive features of the work.
An architecture based on the pursuit of particular characteristics, such as the choice of natural materials with a strong personality, selected to transmit warmth, history, the identity of the building itself. Or the skillful use of light, an element capable of giving constructions dynamism based on different perceptions from different vantage points, in varying weather conditions and at different times of day.
An elegant but also daring use of details, a fil rouge of design seduction, can be seen in all the works produced by the studio: from urban renewal projects to multibrand shops and boutiques, interior design to the creation of buildings with different functions, covering all the phases from the initial idea to the completed construction.
Amidst the variety of the works in architecture and urban planning developed to date or now in progress (the studio has won many competitions in Italy and abroad over the years), Piuarch has been able to preserve its capacity for dialogue with the places in which it operates. In-depth analysis of the context is the first step of any design activity: colors, materials and architectural traditions of the city become stimuli for a modern, exclusive stylistic reinterpretation.
The ability to absorb different ideas, types of input and cultures permits the studio to work for international clients and projects, approaching each commission with its own taste and style, while respecting the unique character of every context.
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Piuarch - New Congress Centre in Riva del Guarda, Italy
Martha Schwartz Partners’ Grand Canal Square Project in Dublin 
