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OUR UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE by Désirée Sormani - pictures by courtesy of Dante Benini & Partners Architects
Small product design, industrial design, masterplans for entire cities, residential and yacht interior décor: there is no limit to the Italian studio’s ability to unravel what people really need – and what they don’t. Because human being is always at the heart of the design
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ante O. Benini is a difficult man to pigeonhole. A whirlwind personality with an incredibly broad-ranging and prestigious career to his credit, he is also something
of an Archistar. But behind his flamboyant exterior lies an inner simplicity that is pretty unique. This is the man that trained under Carlo Scarpa, who taught him his craft and imbued him with a love of detail. Benini also guested at the studio of the legendary Frank O. Gehry studio in Santa Monica, after graduating from university in Brazil with Oscar Niemeyer. In New York, Benini met Richard Meier and later worked on the design of the Ponte Cittadella bridge in Alessandria with him. His career easily straddles the four pillars of architecture. Even stepping into his studio, which he runs with partner Luca
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Gonzo, is like taking a blind leap into the history of architecture.
Facing page (and opposite), architect Dante O. Benini (right) with Luca Gonzo, his partner in the studio since 2000. Above, a view of the studio on the 10th floor of a tower in Milan’s Portello quarter
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[ TREND SETTERS ] The premises covers 1,600 square metres of the 10th floor of a tower
rather than how different they are, then what you are doing is making
in Milan’s Portello quarter overlooking a city in the midst of a massive
sense/the equality between people rather than the inequality between
transformation. A process Benini personally anticipated quite a few
them, then what you are doing is making sense,” he adds. “Architecture
years back when he designed an iconic building on Via Valtellina that
is a social fact,” chips in Luca Gonza who has been designing with
radically changed the look and economic prospects of the suburban
Benini since 1996 and has been in partnership with him since 2000.
street. He also turned a straightforward city bridge in Alessandria
“People get used to the improvements that architecture makes to their
into a place people now go to stroll and gather. Other projects include
lives. The beauty of our work is that it can be applied to any setting,
towers in the stunningly artistic Pavshino Living Art Towers in Moscow
anywhere. Architecture is a universal language. Russia, Australia,
in collaboration with artist Mario Arlati and a “breathable” renovation
USA, China… we’ve worked all over the world.” In Russia, they
of the Geox building on Milan to reflect the footwear brand’s ethos.
created the masterplan for the city of Novgorod as well as a major
Benini’s work is incredibly wide-ranging both in subject and reference.
multi-award-winning state housing project spanning 600 50 square
It embraces urban masterplans, industrial and interior design, pure
metre apartments. In the industrial design sector, the architect has
architecture and even yachts. Everything from spoons to cities. “I
produced designs that have become iconic. “Design per se is absolutely
learned everything I know from the greats: it takes a great master to
vital to quality of life,” specifies Benini. “Massimo Vignelli, the greatest
make a great creator,” he told us. “A person may be innately creative
ever graphic designer, said: ‘if you don’t find it you design it’. So that’s
but it is one thing to express that creativity and quite another to be
what we did. The Cat chair we designed for Caterpillar in 1990 is now
able to codify it. That is what takes real effort. I sat behind the giants
in the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York”. But that is very far from
so that I could learn to see into the distance: I say that in dedication
the end of the story. The studio’s forays into other areas also include
to my partner Luca Gonzo (Managing Director of the studio and
yacht design. The 60-metre Perini Seven debuted at last year’s Monaco
Benini’s probable successor) who has flanked me in the adventure that
Show is a case in point. “You can’t detach yourself from your emotions.
is architecture.” A type of architecture that puts man at the centre of
Yachting is one of my greatest passions. Any chance I get, I cast off
everything. “Man and human needs are the absolute priority. When
and pull the plug. It’s a mix of business and pleasure for me,” explains
you do something in which you manage to show how alike people are
Dante O. Benini.” The meeting with the owner Ennio Doris (chairman
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These pages showcase some of Benini’s projects: above, right, the interior of the Pavshino Towers in Moscow (left), a joint project with artist Mario Arlati. Top, the interior of the Abdi Ibrahim Tower in Istanbul. Facing page, the Geox building in Milan
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These shots, Seven, the Perini Navi 60-metre with interior created entirely by Dante O. Benini Partners Architects. Every last detail has been carefully designed to guarantee the comfort of the entire family of 13 which includes seven grandchildren. Pale yet muted colours were chose for the interior with furnishings custom-made by Armani and Giorgetti. The fit-out is by Ivano Redaelli. Innovative lighting designs a pivotal role throughout and helps make the spaces feel larger
of Banca Mediolanum) was almost a chance encounter but it was
King of Bahrein’s 51-metre M/Y Jameel, a Sanlorenzo, a 64 and a
also an instant meetings of minds. So much so that the Doris
68-metre for VSY (see page 14) as well as various other projects.
decided Benini was the man to craft the interiors of the yacht of his
“Seven was uniquely satisfying. So much so, in fact, that we have
dreams. “They wanted a boat the whole family could get together
decided to open a design studio in Monte Carlo,” says the architect
on. Nothing showy. We took the existing layout and revolutionised
confidently. So that will mean that Dante O. Benini Partners
it, creating a level of efficiency and liveability in the spaces superior
Architects really have done it all. The studio still does have one
to other craft of similar dimensions, particularly on the lower deck.
unrealised dream up its sleeve. “We want to design a church and
We introduced a whole new features from the residential sector as
give it as a gift to the community to create a more intimate and
that’s our specialist area: spots with special LEDs that are invisible
spiritual relationship with religion again.” An ambitious project
when they are on but that make spaces feel larger. This was also
of the kind only great architects can tackle. But it augurs well that
the first time the latter were used in yacht design.” This was not
the O in the Dante O. Benini moniker stands for Oscar. As in
Benini’s first foray into this sphere – he also did the refit of the
Niemeyer, of course!
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Right, another example of Benini’s residential work: a building in the city of Cagliari. Below left, Christine mirror designed for Fiam. Bottom right, the masterplan for Novgorod, a large town on the Volga, a project for the Russian government. Bottom left, the Teso radiator designed for Antrax. From urban planning to small objects and yachts, architects Gonzo and Benini brilliantly interpret human needs to produce their stunning architectural and design projects
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