Trend Setters: m2atelier

IS ALL AROUND US! I N S P I R A T I O N

by Désirée Sormani- ph. Courtesy by m2atelier

Marijana Radovic and Marco Bonelli tell us how they bring the world right into their designs in everything from retail to residential architecture. Mixing it up and creating crossovers is their rule of thumb, especially to and from the yacht design world

pict. Giovanni Malgarini pict. Giovanni Malgarini

Marijana Radovic and Marco Bonelli founded studio m2atelier in Milan but also have an office in New York. Aside from working with Philippe Starck, Marco worked with Gaetano Pesce and Michael Gabellini of Gabellini Sheppard Associates; he did also a Master’s in Advanced Architecture and Design at Columbia University. Facing page, an armchair, chair and table from Giada by Giorgetti Collection

“W hen we think of something, be it a chair, the interior of store, a home or a boat, we breathe life into our client’s desires. And we keep his or her style in mind as we do so, sometimes starting from a tiny detail. Then the design takes shape and you make it a little more your own, putting your soul into it: so your personal input make the creative act different”. Marijana Radovic and Marco Bonelli, founders of the international m2atelier studio, find it hard to define their style. “Design is the result of a whole lot of things because inspiration is all around us,” explains Marijana who studied architecture in her native Belgrade before taking a Master’s Degree in Yacht Design at Milan Politecnico. “We are constantly being bombarded with information, images and emotions: everything is a source of inspiration even an ‘ordinary’ conversation with friends about the food in a restaurant can spark creative thought patterns about how that particular dish could be served differently and more innovatively, for instance,” adds Marco, who is Genoese by birth but essentially a citizen of the world. After taking a degree in architecture with Stefano Boeri, lived in Paris where he worked in the design department of a leading domestic electrical appliance company alongside Philippe Starck. “We like mixing and borrowing to reinterpret and create new and interesting things,” he continues. “Design is a very complex world: there is sensitivity, preparedness, politics, technical aspects….it is an area

where you have make different elements work together”. m2atelier (m2 as in metres squared and also the double M made up by Marijana and Marco) was founded in 2013 when the duo merged their individual studios. And their private lives. Something that seems to happen quite a lot in this particular profession. “We architects are obsessive about design... it is an all-consuming profession. There is no such thing as a Nine to Five job,” stresses Marijana. “Being a couple is a double-edged sword,” admits Marco, “but we have the same vision”. This is very obvious from their very harmonious working relationship with their 25 collaborators, all designers and architects of different nationalities and with different specialisations. The result is a bespoke approach to each new project that pushes boundaries and creates intriguing variations on themes. It has also turned the studio into an international Made in Italy ambassador. Most of the m2atelier’s work is in luxury residential, fashion retail and nautical design. Marijana’s experience is invaluable in the latter regard as she worked at the Lazzarini Pickering in Rome in the early noughties, just after the launch of two high-profile boats: the leadingedge 118 Wallypower and the 52m Benetti Sai Ram, the first yacht with a bathroom with transparent walls and set centre stage in the master stateroom. It was during that time that Marijana realised just how closely related the residential and nautical spheres are: “I have always adored sailing yachts and the sound of the sea.

This rendering, the Black Cat 30 and page opposite, Black Cat 50. m2atelier created the interiors for the entire range which was designed by Malcom McKeon. All of the interiors have a great feeling of flow, meticulous attention to detail and beautifully optimised spaces

Above, the interior of a home in Paraggi, in Liguria. Left, a close-up of the Hospitality Area of the Sheraton Hotel in Mestre, near Venice. Below, the studio m2atelier in Milan. Marijana Radovic, partner of the studio, also worked extensively on yacht interiors in the past, first with Lazzarini Pickering, and later in Geneva with Spiro Latsis. She also spent time in Athens supervising some big builds

I have also always been intrigued by the idea of reorganising small spaces… then in the course of my journey as a designer, I got to larger boats but even there the space optimisation rule holds true. I love open plan spaces which have everything there but you can’t see it. Clean, simple spaces. This is the result of the work I did first on a smaller scale and then applied to a larger one. Situations we also apply in the residential world thanks to a multidisciplinary approach fuelled by a constant search for space and proportions. Stylistically, attention to detail is one of our signatures”. When asked their favourite material, the duo glance at each other and then reply simultaneously: “We don’t have one… we obviously really like structural glass but we are interested in cross-contamination: pairing a very expensive material with a more ordinary one just as happens in the fashion world. It is interesting to see a piece of luxury clothing worn with an accessory that isn’t expensive but lends it distinction!”. The studio is like a creative kaleidoscope in which myriad facets seems to work in perfect harmony. But does the couple have any secret dreams they would like to accomplish? “We are happy with the things we have done and are doing. But we are constantly striving to raise the bar. But we can only do that thanks to our clients. What we really would really like is to keep meeting people who believe in us, who inspire us and who stimulate us to always go one step further “.