Milan 2014: new photography reveals the homes and workspaces of architects including Shigeru Ban, Zaha Hadid, David Chipperfield and Daniel Libeskind, ahead of an exhibition in Milan next month (+ slideshow).
The exhibition, entitled Where Architects Live, will centre around the domestic spaces of nine eminent designers, also including Mario Bellini, Marcio Kogan, Bijoy Jain, and Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas. Curated by Francesca Molteni, the show will also feature interviews recorded with each resident.
A glimpse inside the Paris home of Italian architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas shows a stark interior with exposed ceiling beams and a grand fireplace. To this, the architects have added pastel colours and original Jean Prouvé furniture.
David Chipperfield's three-storey Berlin base has a raw concrete interior typical of the British architect's restrained architectural approach. This is offset by bold splashes of colour introduced by a green velvet sofa and a vibrant orange bookcase.
The interior of Zaha Hadid's London studio is filled with original artworks by the architect, as well as models documenting projects from across her career, which are displayed on organically curved surfaces.
Curved openings puncture the volume of the Tokyo home of this year's Pritzker Prize laureate, Shigeru Ban. Located in the Hangei Forest district, the house was designed to avoid uprooting any trees and features walls made up of translucent glass blocks.
New York architect Daniel Libeskind resides in a brightly lit apartment that centres around a drawing board. Other additions include Le Corbusier-designed chairs and plain white curtains.
A triple-height library is a highlight in the home of Milan architect Mario Bellini, a self-proclaimed book lover. A scaffolding system helps him to reach the highest shelves, while a grand piano sits in front.
A piano is also one of the main focuses in the apartment belonging to Brazilian architect and Studio MK27 principal Marcio Kogan. Positioned within an apartment block of his own design, the space is filled with artworks, sculptures and other curiosities.
The final interior reveals the Indian countryside residence and studio of Studio Mumbai principal Bijoy Jain, where he lives and works with a team of 60 craftsmen.
Where Architects Live will be on show at the Milan Fairgrounds from 8 to 13 April.
Here's more information from the exhibition organisers:
Where Architects Live
"Where Architects Live" is an original installation, inspired by leading contemporary architects' own concepts of the domestic space, conceived as a cultural accompaniment to the Salone del Mobile.
The exhibition has been specially devised for the Salone, providing an exclusive glimpse into "rooms" designed by eight of the world's most respected architects: Shigeru Ban, Mario Bellini, David Chipperfield, Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, Zaha Hadid, Marcio Kogan, Daniel Libeskind and Bijoy Jain/Studio Mumbai.
We use to see only the work architects do for other people and for other people's lives. But where do architects live, or rather, what are their homes like and in what way? Exact reflections of their distinctive design styles or complete one-offs? Or something else entirely? "Where Architects Live" is a response to these questions and to natural curiosity, but it also aims to broaden the vision of domestic architecture itself.
The concept underlying the event rests in the conviction that, of all design disciplines, domestic architecture is the most predisposed to evolution and the most suited to experimentation, given its capacity to conjugate architecture and design.
An iconic and paradigmatic reading of the architects' "rooms", within the context of the home as a theme, will trigger crosscutting reflection on the modes, experiences and trends of contemporary living.
The curator of the event, Francesca Molteni - who curated "Design Dance" with Michela Marelli (2012) and "A celestial bathroom" (2010) - has been privy to the private homes of eight of the greatest exponents of the architectural world, filming the exteriors and domestic spaces and recording an interview with each of them on the visions, triggers and decisions that have steered their design and professional careers. She and the architect and scenographer Davide Pizzigoni, who has been exploring representational space and working with leading international opera theatres, have devised a project that recreates the private "rooms" of Shigeru Ban, Mario Bellini, David Chipperfield, Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, Zaha Hadid, Marcio Kogan, Daniel Libeskind and Bijoy Jain/Studio Mumbai by means of real-life videos, images, sounds, comments and reconstructions. The result is an interactive exhibition space that unveils the architects' visions of living, their choices and their obsessions.