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August 7, 2016

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Italian creative director loves to push boundaries

Source: Shanghai Daily | August 7, 2016, Sunday | Print Edition

WHO is he?

Massimo Mercurio is the creative director of Mercurio Design Lab (MDL), a member of the AMA Group. They are an architectural design studio based in Rome. Within Asia, they work with professionally qualified local partners on projects across the region.

Tell us about some of your works, and name the one you are most proud of.

Since I started MDL, I believe each of the projects I have done has something memorable. They reflect our spirit of challenging the boundaries of design and both formal and structural solutions. I am lucky to have undertaken a wide variety of projects in different areas of commercial architecture, making the journey even more interesting. I maintain that we have been interested only in projects that have an outstanding character, and that we know can be winning design awards. Therefore, I can certainly say that we are proud of all of them.

Are you currently involved with any project?

Yes, I am. We have quite a few worth sharing. First is the twin-tower project in downtown Jakarta, Indonesia. It will be the tallest building in downtown Jakarta; standing at 300 meter, with and 66 floor. It has a commercial podium with the remaining space made up of offices, a member’s-only club at the top of one tower, and serviced apartments at the top of the other tower.

Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore is a 200-room hotel in Laguna National Golf and Country Club. Organically shaped, the building is futuristic in appearance, almost resembling a space port. It takes its inspiration from the undulating dunes of a golf course. In doing so, it aims to be less intrusive amidst the beautiful landscape. Its most striking feature is the roof, made of a composite material, that lets it bend in directions.

Another is the Culture Exchange Convention Centre in Yangshuo, China that is a wedding hall with a cultural center. From an aerial perspective, the project resembles a ring, complete with a “diamond” perched atop the roof of the wedding hall. Inside the “ring,” there is a pond that reflects the adjacent Yue mountains.

Describe your design style.

I like to be experimental and not constricted by standard formulas... I like to challenge the force of gravity, and push the limits of our structures and structural engineering to extremes. Yet, while I push the boundaries, I also try to maintain functionality, which I believe is the basis of good architecture.

Where are you most creative?

There are several situations that really ignite my creativity. Firstly, when I am surrounded by nature; for instance, when I go to the mountains or the seaside or particular places like the Singapore Botanic Gardens. I am constantly seeking ways to soften my buildings and help them have a stronger affinity to the natural world. Men are not born to live in concrete boxes.

I am also creative when traveling in cities where I can enjoy different cultural experiences. I enjoy borrowing elements from the different destinations I’ve been to, such as Rome and Beijing, and merging them into projects to create new recipes.

Finally, science fiction movies and games also spark my creativity. A lot of their universes are designed by architects and designers who are trying to depict the future. I often find myself sketching the buildings that I see when I play games such as “HALO” and watch movies such as “Star Trek.”

What do you collect?

As a kid, it was bottle caps. As money became more available, I started collecting art, watches and generally whatever is aesthetically beautiful (even kitchenware). In particular, collecting art has led me to become an artist, which has become a crucial point in my evolution as a designer, because I learned to push my boundaries.

Where do you like to go most in Shanghai?

I like The Bund a lot. It might seem like an obvious thing to say but as an Italian, I find it very interesting because it creates a connection between the classic and modern world. The juxtaposition of the old buildings against the new in Pudong creates a very lively landscape.

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