When designing client-facing spaces for your corporate clients, how do you strike a balance between functionality or necessity on the one hand and comfort and luxury on the other?
Producing beauty is what we do. We achieve this by appealing to the senses, stimulating emotions and giving them meaning. It is this meaning that determines the longevity of the artistic elements of architecture. The places we design are living compositions where users become immersed and their senses take centre stage, resulting in a unique experience. Here, the balance between necessity and functionality, and comfort and luxury, is resolved by de-emphasising the former to give life to the latter. At the heart of our philosophy is our dedication to translating the core values of our clients into tangible, lived moments. We never forget that every project is a portrait of the client that commissioned it.
Can you describe the architectural journey from the initial vision through to the successful realisation of a project?
When creating an architectural design, our vision is to transform a space into a place. There is a substantial difference between those two concepts: A space exists for functional purposes, whereas a place emerges from the very essence of being.
This approach makes architecture the most complete form of human art. Conceiving a place always involves the transformation of an existing environment – whether it is a historical interior or a metropolis. In simple terms, the architectural journey can be compared to travelling at speed on a train. As you hurtle along the tracks, you are subject to various forces and constraints and yet you manage to calmly play a game of cards and indulge your emotions. You could say that as architects, we strive to free ourselves from rules that drive uniformity and limit our creativity in order to elevate spaces into places that initiate an era of happiness and contribute to the preservation of beauty. This process was especially evident when designing the EFG Academy in Lugano, transporting a space of necessity into a place of opportunity.
Perceptions of beauty and luxury differ significantly from one person to the next. How do you ensure that your designs meet with the broadest possible appreciation across a diverse audience?
Every detail of our work is carefully crafted and is executed with precision, fostering a sense of security and familiarity that puts our clients at ease. When partnering with EFG, we endeavoured to strike a delicate balance between solemnity and informality, conveying professionalism without sacrificing warmth. After all, atmosphere is today an important component of a company’s success. Providing an environment crafted with purpose and beauty through emotions that reflect the soul of the company is what shapes the perception of users and conveys a clear message about the wellbeing of the company and its employees.
Every one of our projects is about the exploration of perception, creating spaces that are alive and delivering comfort, beauty and tranquillity. When working with EFG, our approach centred around the incorporation of circular geometries that symbolise inclusivity and stability, ensuring that every individual who visits its offices feels as if they are at the centre of their own world. The curved walls further amplify the spatial experience, fluidly expanding the perception of space and infusing the atmosphere with warmth and the feeling of being welcomed.
In our designs for EFG, we drew on lessons from the psychology of space, existentialism and anthropological aspects that shape our attitudes and instinctive reactions. To achieve the highest level of appreciation across a diverse range of users, EFG’s different offices around the world preserve the spirit and traditions of each region in which they are located. Through this approach, it is possible to highlight and reinforce common foundations while taking a sensitive approach in relation to individual and distinctive contexts. When entering EFG’s buildings worldwide, one finds environments that reflect the international identity of the bank, paired with a delicate, sincere appreciation of the unique local culture and heritage. This is achieved through the use of local materials and craftsmanship to balance global values with regional nuances.
What was the most memorable or satisfying moment in your career to date – and why?
I recently reached a milestone with the completion of 800 projects around the globe. This provided a good opportunity to take stock of what I have achieved and think about all the people I have met and worked with along the way. That said, I think it is when I am drawing that I experience moments of the most profound satisfaction. I consider it both a necessary act and a form of liberation – a process that captures the joy of creating and reflects the uniqueness of every instant in life. The wonder and fulfilment conveyed by a few strokes of the pencil or digital tools, when the first lines drawn seem spontaneous and without purpose, are always moments of great personal and professional satisfaction for me.
This interview was published in the spring 2025 edition EFG’s InTalks magazine.
