Metrogramma

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Biography

Metrogramma, founded in 1999 by partners Andrea Boschetti (1969) and Alberto Francini (1969), is an architecture, urban planning and interior design studio with offices in Milan, Moscow and New York and branches in London and Dubai.
The two architects graduated respectively from the Universities of Venice and Florence and gained professional experience working for firms such as those of Rem Koolhaas and Massimiliano Fuksas.

Francini stayed with Metrogramma until 2017, before embarking on his own venture, with new employees and a new firm.
Today, the firm is run by Andrea Boschetti, who has a team of professionals and long-term partners. Over the years, the firm has earned itself a good reputation in the field of urban design, thanks to its ability to experiment and define possible scenarios in urban and suburban contexts.

The firm’s philosophy stands out, in terms of its approach to various projects, for its three basic elements: the grid, the unit and the matrix.
The objective of the grid is “knowing how to operate the proper balance of commensurability and proportionality of the parts with rigorous precision, without which the project devolves into incomplete discontent”.
The unit, instead, is defined as “the clarifying entity of the architectural process from beginning to end. A composite and stratified unit, holding within it the complexity of the resulting spatial configuration”.

To explain the concept of matrix, here is a definition by Giancarlo De Carlo: “in a fluid state, without the marginal constraints of space and time, architecture becomes generous and meaningful for human beings as a gracious and delicate extension of natural order”.
Since starting out, Metrogramma has participated and won several international competitions, “never giving up pungent and provocative operability against a profession often considered too commercial and not oriented towards the real needs of the human habitat”. Many of its projects have distinguished themselves for their innovation and experimentation, ranging in all possible scales.

These include many projects in the field of urban planning in Italy: the urban densification scenarios for the growth of the city of Bolzano – Habitat BZ 2001” (Gold Medal for Italian Architecture); the Plan of Government of the Territory of Milan for the transformation of the Lombard city in 2030; the Domus Malles residences in Bolzano; the project for the new skyscraper for the Lombardy Region (2003); and the Scalo Milano City Style mall, focusing on the world of design, food and fashion.
This latest project by the firm was built in a former industrial area that housed a historic Saiwa factory and “exploits this old building and its language, referencing industry as the icon of Milan’s entrepreneurial spirit (...), much more than a standard shopping center, they match everything with attentive design of the outdoor areas, connected by paths broken up by spaces, real urban squares with their own urban furnishings, plants and lighting. A design response that crafts places for resting and sharing around the three themes of Scalo Milano: Food, Fashion and Design” (C. Bürklein).

There are also many spaces for all kinds of contemporary art, including photography and street art, “underscoring its vocation to become a new “city hub”.
Multiple projects abroad include “VIPs Buildings in the area of the Losail Marina in Doha, Qatar and the tourist establishment dedicated to the world of skiing, named “Sunny Valley”, in the Urals, Russia”.
The studio is also active in the field of interior design, thanks to a professional partnership with the London contract division LLEngineering and attributable to Group Luxury Living (leader in the luxury interiors sector). This has led to numerous projects in partnership with well-known brands such as Fendi Casa, Home Bentley, Bugatti Home, Trussardi Casa and others.

In addition to the previously mentioned Gold Medal for Italian Architecture, the awards received include the Giunigi award, the special mention at the ICIF Prize in Moscow, the Inarch/Ance national award, and a bronze medal for Italian culture awarded by the President of the Republic.

By constantly participating in conferences, university lectures and exhibitions such as the Venice, London, Brasilia and Moscow Biennale of Architecture, the firm has had the opportunity to present its research in Italy and worldwide.
 
Metrogramma selected works and projects
 
- Luxury Living Engineering Office, Dubai (UAE), 2018
- Buyukyali Residences Apartment Building, Istanbul (Turchia), 2017 - in corso
- Residenza privata, Milano (Italia), 2018
- Scalo Milano City Scale, Milano (Italia), 2016
- Flaminio Masterplan (progetto), Roma (Italia), 2015
- Giardini sospesi, Verona (Italia), 2014
- Super Surface Space - Iris Ceramica, Mosca (Russia), 2014
- Milano Dance, Milano (Italia), 2014
- Moscow Tower (progetto), Mosca (Russia), 2014
- Food & Art Gallery (progetto), Merano (Italia), 2014
- Triennale Restaurant, Triennale di Milano (Italia), 2014
- Barwa Bank (progetto), Doha (Qatar), 2014
- Golden Beach Resort (progetto), Miass (Russia), 2013
- Sunny Valley, Miass (Russia), 2013
- Edifici dirigenziali della Provincia di Bolzano (Italia), 2011
- Stazione TAV integrata alla Stazione ferroviaria, Bologna (Italia), 2008
- PGT Piano di Governo del territorio, Milano (Italia), 2007
- Interni di Superspazio, Milano (Italia), 2007
- Masterplan MPPAT (progetto), Sejong (Corea del Sud), 2007
- Piano Darsena per la città di Ravenna Epicentro Candiano (Italia), 2006
- Pescara Docklands, Pescara (Italia), 2006
 
Official website
 
www.metrogramma.com