A Glance at Architecture | Studio Conte Architetti
A Glance at Architecture
with Studio Conte Architetti
Studio Conte Architetti was founded in 2012 by Sergio Conte architect and Riccardo Conte architect.
Sergio and Riccardo both graduated at the IUAV University of Venice, respectively in 1985 and 2014.
What is Studio Conte Architetti’s vision/mission?
We believe in architecture based on simplicity and beauty, which focuses on man and the space in which he lives.
We believe in an essential architecture, without unnecessary ornaments.
The customer is our starting point. We guide him slowly through the understanding of the project idea and the architectural choices.
We carefully analyze his needs, spaces and functions, and try to solve the project with logic and precision, as if it were a mathematical problem.
The end result is a synthesis of our working method and our idea of architecture.
How does the studio’s style differ from others?
Our approach covers all aspects of design, from the analysis of the context to the study of interior spaces, up to the design of the furniture. Furniture is almost always integrated into the project and every detail is designed. We like to remember the famous phrase by Mies van der Rohe, that said: "GOD IS IN THE DETAILS". The details are not intended as decorativism, but rather as the true essence of the project.
What concepts does the studio strive to incorporate into its architecture?
Functionality: every space we design must be functional and practical to be able to live easily.
Essentiality: we design what is indispensable, without unnecessary ornaments, without obstacles.
Simplicity: a simple architecture is not trivial, but it is essential. In simplicity everything makes sense. An ancient Chinese saying says: "what can not be said in a few words cannot even be said in many".
Beauty: we are looking for beauty in every project. Beauty is harmony and proportion between the parts and the whole.
What is one of the most significant projects the firm has completed?
The most important project, in terms of scale, is Patmos Suites, a 7-story residential building, completed in 2013, in Lignano Sabbiadoro (Udine-Italy), with magnificent terraces overlooking the Adriatic Sea.
However, we have been working for a couple of years on other interesting projects being completed. One project is a new wine cellar with an adjoining residence of the caretakers, immersed in an immense nature park, and the other project is a residential apartment building, developed on 3 floors; for this last project, we started from the idea of living spaces that had a close relationship between inside and outside. As for the interior architecture we finished in 2016 a renovation of a private residence where we managed to do a real job of subtraction, eliminating everything that was useless and giving life to much more free and functional spaces.
Does the studio have a main source of inspiration? If so, who or what is it?
Inspiration comes from the context of a project, from art or from an exhibition, from a book or a photo, from everyday life or from a particular suggestion.
The important thing is to know how to listen to your feelings and be careful observers.
However, we have always loved a great masterpiece of Italian rationalist architecture:
Villa Malaparte, designed by Adalberto Libera, in Capri.
Libera's great intuition was that of transforming a simple flat roof into an infinite horizontal plane, merged with the horizon line, that becomes the core of the house.
Every time we look at this project we are fascinated by the greatness of the project idea.
