luca trazzi. ' I had the good fortune to work with the same person for 15 years, the architect aldo rossi. he initiated me into architecture .....................
......................... shop .................. competitions .............. education ................ interviews ................... snapshots ................... history .......... contemporary luca trazzi
was born in verona in 1962. he studied architecture at university of venice where he became a university assistant and was awarded the carlo scarpa prize. he graduated in 1987 and moved to milano rightaway where he started to work with the italian architect aldo rossi, soon becoming his closest collaborator and participating in the development of several projects such as milan’s congress building, the new city center in kuala lumpur and after the death of aldo rossi he took charge of the project of ‘ca’ di cozzi’, a residential district of nine buildings in his own town verona. the collaboration with aldo rossi went on for over 15 years. later luca developed his own design and architecture work and eventually opened his own studio in 1993. hs first designs were a collection of coffee cups for illy, followed by the francis francis X-series of coffee machines... he has designed lighting furniture for kreon, timepieces for swatch and householdware for viceversa, guzzini and WMF. he is currently designing a new chain of coffee shops for illy, and also working on supermarkets and department stores. in 2000 luca trazzi became co-CEO of designboom. http://www.lucatrazzi.com --------------------------------------------------------------- the interview took place in milan on march 10, 2005. ---------------- what is the best moment of the day? all of it. from the moment I wake up I am already enjoying the day. but honestly I also like going to sleep. maybe it's the moment before falling asleep, that I enjoy most. what kind of music do you listen to at the moment? I listen to a bit of everything at the moment, indian music and some chinese (laughs) whatever attracts me at certain moments. do you listen to the radio? yes, all the time in the car. I get nervous and skip from one station to the other always looking for the music which is not on. what books do you have on your bedside table? 'the LITTLE prince' and a BIG map of shanghai. with many areas circled.. I am looking for a space to open a studio there. do you read architecture and design magazines? I look at pictures. the magazines are all very similar. though I like to flick through many of them from all around the world. where do you get news from? newspapers? I 'read' the newspaper in the morning and financial reports. I often travel by plane, where I read the weekly current affairs and monthly glossy magazines. actually I enjoy reading(!) newspapers on holidays in the morning with a glass of wine. I assume you notice how women dress. do you have any preferences? yes. I like legs. clothes are secondary. when I was little I enjoyed looking at the dresses, but now I am intrigued to guess what she is thinking. I like to watch how women move. what kind of clothes do you avoid wearing ? boxers. do you have any pets/ animals at home ? NO. I would like to, but it is impossible. they would bite me when I forget to feed them. when you were a child, what did you want to be? did you always want to be an architect? I played with lego and trains. (with the scaled-model environments rather than the toy trains.) I am fortunate because the business I am running is what I have wanted to do since I was a boy. quicktime clip 684 kb. where do you work on your designs and projects? you don't need a specific place to create. ideas come when you look at a person's face or see a new landscape, but also in the restaurant. who would you like to design something for? I would like to design a robot (I've already engineered a cleaning robot). I would love to have the possibility to work with companies that have highest technology. do you discuss your work with architects and designers? no. not with other architects or designers, but with my clients - manufacturers. it's always difficult to have direct contact with the 'boss'. the company is his and he knows what he wants, this is what stimulates me and helps me to make decisions. in big companies, instead you are often forced to have a dialogue with the marketing director or stylist office. there is a lot of insecurity. quicktime clip 1073 kb. describe your style, like a good friend of yours would describe it. I attempt to design objects that last in time not aggressive products. forms which are elegant, not fashionable. can you describe an evolution in your work from your first projects to the present day? I had the good fortune to work with the same person for 15 years, the architect aldo rossi. he initiated me into architecture. from him I learnt everything. as time passed I came ever closer to design which I think is more vivid - architecture by contrast is more stable. I have adopted the same methodology learnt from rossi to the field of design. I privilege the useful object with high-technological content. it permits a large diffusion across international boundaries. I enjoy noticing them in the homes of people I get to know. is there any designer and/or architect from the past, you appreciate a lot? aldo rossi. and from today’s scene? frank gehry (his architectures are beautiful objects.) what is your role in designboom? I joined designboom in 2000. I have known the founders (birgit lohmann and massimo mini) since we were students. it is essentially an adventure of 3 friends, in which everyone of us has their own specific realm. I am into the contacts with companies, fairs and institutions, massimo is in the field of computing and birgit, in graphics and editorial content. it is a perfect equilibrium and I am very happy about this relationship. what project has given you the most satisfaction? the current adventure (opening a studio in china). and the projects to come. so... you are going to open a studio in china? I’m based in milan, but the luca trazzi studio will have a second office in shanghai (BTW designboom too :). I have been regularly going to china for 8 years now, it is the market for big business and innovation. it's stimulating working with chinese companies because they are very enthusiastic, they believe in what they are doing and invest in structure and technology. in short they are dynamic, quick and organised. in europe we have lost this enthusiasm a bit. any advice for the young ? during their academic education they should at the same time verify it through practical experience. definitely doing a stage after university and be part of the game. later, keep going - don't rest on your achievements. what are you afraid of regarding the future? I don't fear the future. I don't like to be oppressed by negative situations. there is more than this static system. if one means is closed, then you have to open another. I like to confront myself with new horizons. this is a big opportunity for designers it gives you new perspectives if you are open to new challenges.	luca trazzi © designboom ‘expresso’ chair for plank, 2005 ‘spider’ thermos for alfi , 2005 ‘C.U.R.L.S.’ kettle for francis francis, 2003 ‘trax’ thermos for alfi, 2002 ‘orazio’ home cleaning robot for zucchetti robotica, 2002 disposable coffee cup for illy, 2000 example of an illy bar, from 2002 till now
--- the questionaire of marcel proust (1871 - 1922) ....................................................................................................................................................... (in age of fourteen proust was given an english album "confessions : an album to record thoughts, feelings". seven years later marcel proust published this questionaire) in the literary salons in nineteenth century paris, this parlour game was a popular amusement. for designboom luca trazzi has answered these 'old fashioned' questions. .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
the main traits of my character. honesty. a quality I desire in a man. intelligence. a quality I desire in a woman. intelligence. what I appreciate most among my friends. intelligence. my principal defect. impulsive my favourite occupation. my work. my dream of felicity. it is materializing now with the birth of my daughter. what would be the biggest misfortune for me. -. who I would like to be. -. were I would like to live. paris. the colour I prefer. orange. the flower I love. calla. the bird I prefer. pheasants. my favourite authors. gabriel garcìa marquez. my favourite poets. giacomo leopardi. my heroes in fiction. capitan nemo. my heroines in fiction. eva kant. my favourite composers. strauss. my favourite artists. canaletto. my heroes in real life. gandhi. my heroines in history. -. my favourite names. sofia and noemi. what I dislike the most. falseness. the historic characters I dislike most. dictators. the military enterprise I like the most. not war. the reformation I appreciate the most. -. nature’s gift I would like to have. to be able to fly. how I would like to die. happy. my soul's present condition. sweet confusion. the faults I can bear. -. my motto. make your dreams come true. --- ------- monthly designboom newsletter ------- ------- ? comments and contact us ? -------	computer mirror for viceversa, 2000 ‘tix’ toaster for viceversa 1999 ‘cube’ scales for viceversa, 1999 ‘X4’, coffee maker for francis francis, 1998 ‘X3’ coffee maker for francis francis, 1997 ‘X1’ coffee maker for francis francis, 1995 ‘venexia’ coffee cups for illy, 1997