Interview Matteo Thun - He is one of the leading exponents of Italian design. A professional who has also brought Italian excellence abroad to great acclaim and received numerous awards. Matthew Thun, architect and pupil at the Salzburg Academy of the master Oskar KokoschkaIn his career, he has designed products with different concepts working for big names. He has designed watches for Swatch, but also the new United Nations building in Geneva, Missoni shops in Milan, Rome and New York, Fila stores in Milan, Paris and London and Porsche showrooms in the German cities of Berlin, Munich and Hamburg.
Currently, however, his focus is on eco-residences and five-star hotels. Among his most important works, which respect the link between the built environment and its surroundings, are the Side Hotels in Hamburg, elected Hotel of the Year 2001, the Virgilius Mountain Resort in Merano, winner of the Wallpaper Design Award in 2004, and the Radisson SAS Frankfurt, winner of the Worldwide Hospitality Awards in 2005.
He is also credited with the first prefabricated buildings with solar panels and the incorporation of trees in a living environment. For this, he is recognised in the industry as the pioneer of ecological building.
His style, creativity, obsessive attention to detail, aesthetics and the quality of his designs have earned him the illustrious 'Compasso d'Oro' designer award three times and induction into the Interior Hall of Fame in New York.
Matthew Thunthe 'Made in Italy' that has conquered the world!
You were a student of the master Oskar Kokoschka. How did he influence your style?
"Kokoschka taught me to observe: to focus and quickly capture what is most important."
What is the project you are most fond of?
"Honestly? Next..."
Given your experience, what advice would you give to young people who want to pursue this career?
"Seek a master and learn from scratch."
Austria, Italy, the United States. How much of each of these different cultures is there in your daily work?
"Our office is a multicultural mix of creatives working interdisciplinary on all projects, it is a meeting of different cultural aspects. Being in Milan, one of the most stimulating design cities in Europe, and having another office in Shanghai helps to create products and projects that focus on consistency and simplicity."
What are the future trends in green building?
"We prefer to talk about consistency rather than sustainability. It should be obvious for architecture to use innovative strategies that enable more efficient and less environmentally damaging processes.."
You were a pioneer in this field. How has this sector evolved over the last 20 years?
"We do not want to be recognised for a particular architectural 'calligraphy', but for an iconic and enduring design: aesthetic longevity combined with technical durability. We try to realise all projects following the three-zero philosophy, i.e.: zero kilometres, proximity of building materials and local expertise; zero CO2, energy management and lower CO2 emissions; zero waste, building life cycle management, how to build it and how to remove it."
Photo credits cover: Nacho Alegre
