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Dark of night inspires creativity in architect
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WHO is he?
Fabio Mazzeo is the chairman and design director of Exclusiva Design, an Italian architectural and luxury interior design company. Although based in Rome, Mazzeo travels frequently on business to follow the company’s various projects. This often brings him to Exclusiva’s division in Shanghai.
Please tell us about some of your works and the one you are most proud of.
The work I’m most proud of is definitely and always the next one.
We work on such different projects: we built deco penthouses in central Paris, designed villas on private islands in Doha and made the futuristic interiors of Gazprom Neft’s Business Center “Energy” in St Petersburg.
For the “Energy” project we balanced function and aesthetics in a process of constant “movement.” We wanted to evoke emotions and generate “energy” in a workspace that I believe — besides being easily usable and highly functional — must also be comfortable and stylish to help trigger virtuous processes of efficiency. Thus we included many artworks inspired by the client’s world. We played with lights and fragments and shipped hundreds of handmade workstations, together with countless other items straight from Italy.
Greek philosopher Zeno of Elea, born ca. 490 BC, said: “The world can be represented as a big circle within which human kind lives. Many are those who reach the limits of this enclosure, but only some — the most foolish — jump over it.”
Well, it is owing to their existence that the enclosure encompassing mankind expands to include new territories. I’m always eager to see what the future brings.
Are you currently working on any project?
As a design director I follow and manage the work of the teams involved in the projects, from large master plans to luxury Russian apartment interiors, from unique Swiss chalets to a stunning Club House of about 6,000 square meters in Chengdu.
Exclusiva has recently won an international competition for the interior design of Lakhta Center in St Petersburg. This prestigious commission includes the design of the “Sky lobbies” in the Gazprom skyscraper, the gallery for the multipurpose building, the tower Observatory, a 494-seat multipurpose conference hall, offices, meeting rooms and many other areas. The project will cover a total area of 29,000 square metres.
Describe your design style.
I do not identify with a specific style, but the signature of my work is the sartorial approach with which we take care of the projects, committing every time to create something unique. I count on two different perceptual apparatuses — sight and sound. I try to accomplish results that may be within the expectations of customers and solve their needs. In wider terms, I think style should be contemporary and belong to its time, the architect should be like a scientist, constantly working on the construction of memory.
Where are you most creative?
My place is the dark, the night. In the evening I am stormed by ideas and intuitions. The images that come together in my mind during the day can condense into concrete ideas.
What does your home mean to you?
My home is the place to fix ideas, listen to myself and lower the noise that distracts from what I should focus on.
What do you collect?
I closely follow Luca De Felice’s work, an Italian artist who makes drawings and artworks employing different materials. An unusual energy flows from his pieces.
Where would you like to go most in Shanghai?
Visit Rockbund Art Museum, one of the very first private museums in Shanghai. RAM is part of the Rockbund Urban development project which now hosts several art organizations like Christies and the ART021 contemporary art fair and private galleries.
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