DESIGN CAPITALS: INTERVIEWS WITH THE MOST COVETED INTERIOR DESIGNERS

ALESSANDRO MUNGE

Toronto

Born into a world of design, Alessandro Munge quickly transcended his teenage sketches to become one of North America’s most sought-after designers. Through his inquisitive nature and fundamental drive to provoke profound emotion, Alessandro has reshaped the preconceived notions of interior design for over 20 years. “As a first-generation immigrant, I came from very humble beginnings and grew up fast. I never had much to lose, and that made me fearless. Creators need a voice. They have to be curious and brave; it takes courage to question the norm and bring forth uniqueness.” – he stated.

With an innovative point of view earning him over 150 international design awards, including Contract Magazine’s Designer of the Year Award and Interior Design’s Hospitality Design Leader, Alessandro has inspired countless noteworthy projects worldwide, such as The William Vale in Brooklyn and Rosewood Hotel Georgia in Vancouver. Strengthening his ties to a host of top-tier hospitality brands and clients, Alessandro continues to establish himself as a multidisciplinary visionary through design architecture, landscaping and product design. His boundless passion for art, culture and travel, inspires his international team of over sixty to sculpt spaces into distinctive, signature experiences that reflect the essence and vibrancy of their inhabitants. “Our responsibility is to give unique design solutions that are honest and relevant. No formula that will force us to do the same thing over and over because, in my world, I call that insanity.” – said, Alessandro. Asked about what he loves the most about his work, Alessandro Munge made it very clear. “Although my love and passion have been residential and hospitality maybe the better answer is I’ve always been in love with watching human beings within spaces… The colours of walls so to speak never mattered to me as much as the people within the spaces and how they emotionally connect with the environment and each other. Designers have an opportunity and somewhat a responsibility to drive innovation and create uniqueness.

I never replicate my projects and starting every project as a blank canvas constantly keeps me engaged and motivated. I thrive in the unknown, in the never-seen-before and what feels uncomfortable to most is exciting to me. That’s why I love when a client comes to us at the earliest stage of a project. We’re able to influence programming, architecture, landscaping, and interior to create a truly holistic experience that engages and connects human beings. We’re then able to deliver a truly unique and powerful project.” – said Munge. For Alessandro Munge, the covid-19 crisis was one of the most challenging times in his career. “The latest global health and economic crisis was a challenge like no other that forced us to completely reimagine our workflow and quickly adapt so we could keep moving forward and help our clients around the world. While this physically split our teams, it brought us closer ideologically and allowed us to integrate innovative ways to communicate design. With all my international travels cancelled, I could also spend a lot more time mentoring our studio. As we move forward into a new norm, this challenge reminds us to always stay flexible to an ever-changing world and remain deeply connected as a team.” – he explained. As long as the interview was progressing, we got more closer to the designer. And at this point we wanted to know a bit more about his achievements