ABOUT

Metrogramma is a relatively young firm, made up of several architects and designers. One of its more well-known projects include the one situated in Bolzano, "the super infrastructure" concept. A super infrastructure is a tall vertical structure that maximizes the most space for less. It is layered with housing, commercial, and educational use.

IDEAS

Presentation

• There soon will be an Italian design revival.
• Starting from the designer, a design can possibly transform an entire part of the city.
• Development of a project, from winning a competition to going through the implementation stage, is a slow process. And sometimes, projects simply get left unfinished.
• The Ruins and how they affect the design heritage is a symbol of how Italian design is very connected to the Italian culture and history.
• Design in Rome has developed from the Middle Ages to now and will continue to do so. There is still excitement in the modern design field.

Main Points

• 70% of Metrogramma's work is not in competition, but it uses competitions to further develop ideas and conduct research, such as for housing and other buildings in Milano. For example, a housing competition Metrogramma participated in may not have been won, but since it explored problems among public, collective, and private space, the knowledge gained can be applied to other competitions or practical projects.
• The designers at Metrogramma choose to work more with traditional 3-D models more so than computer software models. It gives them the type of freedom to see more clearly what needs to be reworked and if some details of that specific model can be made into their own separate project. However, their belief is that the model is not the result of the project, but the project is the result of the model.
• Metrogramma does not have a strict design philosophy that it follows; it has more of an interdisciplinary team-based philosophy towards its work. Designers always strive to seek the best fit for each person on a project to maximize their skills. A lot of the designers that are part of Metrogramma may not have the full formal educational background, but these are young, passionate, and creative people who can create innovative ideas.

HERE IS WHAT WE LEARNED

Metrogramma revealed some of the underlining processes for a young and radical Italian design firm. These processes are hugely different from more traditional firms. Metrogramma has interest in particular young designers and a wide scope of various projects.

KEY QUOTES

Mix Between Project Scales [clip 1]

One important thing is that we don't have a favourite scale. We design everything, from the land to urban plan. And even if they ask us to design the urban plan, maybe in that project we design furniture or stuff for that town, or even if they ask for a lamp we consider it in relation to that big scale. And this mix between scales is a fundamental part of our job. Now in this moment, we are making a competition on a new tunnel. We are going to make it out of Venice, because out of Venice there is a big traffic jam everyday. Normally like wall against noise, we are trying to make a kind of new town on that project. So every time we try to understand what there is behind the answers just because they don't know really know what they want.

Passion Over Training [clip 1]

The thing is that what seems to matter more is that people who apply [for a job at Metrogramma] have something to show, that they don't necessarily have to be architects, finished, trained architects. They have to be passionate, and they have to have ideas of their own. I don't know if it's a sensible thing to say, but you can work as an architect without being one, quite well actually, if you have ideas of your own, if you are passionate about it.