'I am a rogue designer and a generous architect': piero lissoni career explored in rizzoli book

Rizzoli UNVEILS ‘Piero Lissoni. Environments’ book

Rizzoli unveils the first comprehensive exploration of the 40-year-long creative journey of Italian architect and design Piero Lissoni and his firm, Lissoni & Partners. Edited by Stefano Casciani, the new book commences with a powerful declaration by Lissoni: ‘I am a rogue designer and a generous architect,’ marking the start of a century’s worth of architecture, interior, product design, installation, and graphics projects. The volume, which is aptly named Environments, was designed by Lissoni & Partners and clearly reflects the studio’s signature style.

‘Actually, I didn’t want to make a book, but I imagined having to resolve a series of functional problems, such as how to stabilize a table (a book would be perfect), or how to make a base for a vase of flowers, an antique Chinese object or framed photographs. However, while I was at it, I also tried to add a bit of content, the bare minimum,’ says Piero Lissoni. ‘In addition to the mentoring of Stefano Casciani and the texts he wrote, I tried to describe what we are: we are not architects, we are not designers, we are not graphic designers – we are a strange mix lying between humanism and maybe a dash of science’.

Piero Lissoni and the Environments book | image by Francesco Caredda

Piero Lissoni’s Vision On Built Environments

The new book by Rizzoli (find more here) showcases the projects of Piero Lissoni (find more here) as manifestations of new perspectives on the built environment. The volume not only emphasizes the finished works but also delves into Lissoni’s meticulous exploration and creation of spaces and objects based on the considerations of users, manufacturers, and constructors. Simultaneously, each project embodies a unique essence, intertwined with the worlds of plastic and visual arts.

‘The workings of a design office are an evolution of what you stand for, what your imagination does, and what your dreams desire. I have given mine an imprint that hovers between science and humanism,’ writes Piero Lissoni in the book’s preface. ‘Architecture negates the supremacy of specialization, so architects need to practice an open, disjointed approach. Humanistically, the most important part (perhaps my favorite) is the initial study and research. Things get so interesting when you enter the labyrinths and get lost, wandering around in music, poetry, photography, art of all kinds, other buildings, and other stories. At a certain point, all this roaming, or just part of it, crystalizes and becomes a design,’ he adds.

Piero Lissoni and the Environments book | image by Francesco Caredda

Navigating the Space/Time Continuum of Piero Lissoni’s work

Edited by designer, artist, and writer Stefano Casciani, the Environments book has been a profound journey through the space/time continuum of Piero Lissoni’s work. ‘Writing and editing this book has been a long journey in the space/time continuum of the work of Piero Lissoni,’ Casciani notes. He likens this journey to a circular or curved space/time, suggesting that navigating through its cherished pages brings one back to its origins—an idea of space that encompasses architecture, objects, graphics, photography, or words, forming a universe of myriad experiences and visions, akin to a magical box or a kaleidoscope reflecting different images crafted by those who wrote and designed them.

Crafted with attention, the book’s design, executed by Lissoni & Partners, embodies the studio’s signature style. From the packaging to the paper, including distinct inserts on product design adorned with illustrations by Guido Scarabottolo and another on graphic design, the book exemplifies the aesthetic of Lissoni & Partners.

Aquatrium competition | image © Lissoni & Partners