Zaha Hadid Architects to hold a lecture at RIFF Bucharest

Author: Stefana Gradinariu

Maurizio Meossi, senior Associate of the world renowned Zaha Hadid Architects will share with the audience at RIFF Bucharest (31 October) the architectural concepts that stood behind the Citylife Milano Residential Complex.

For Maurizio Meossi, this scheme marked his return in the Zaha Hadid office in 2006, as the project architect for these iconic residences, after his temporary departure in 2003 in order to join the structural engineering team working on the 2010 winner of the RIBA Stirling Prize, MAXXI Museum in Rome .

Featuring the quintessential Zaha Hadid fluid curvliniar lines, the intervention completed in 2013 was designed in such a way to “echo the landscape below”, as described by the architects on their website . As a constant throughout their projects, the residential complex featured in emblematic publications such as archdaily and dezeen aims at urban integration through a careful massing of buildings with great attention towards the negative space, i.e. the public space in-between, while also optimising environmental awareness through building orientation and material selection.

About the Project

Design Team: Zaha Hadid, Patrik Schumacher

Project Director: Gianluca Racana

Project Architect: Maurizio Meossi

Residential Site Supervision Team: Cristina Capanna, Veronica Erspamer, Stefano Iacopini, Florindo Ricciuti, Giulia Scaglietta.

The 230 units contained within seven linear buildings were arranged within two land areas separated by a wide pedestrian boulevard. This “strip of public park” as per the architect’s description also creates a visual and physical connection to the Citylife Park and the forecoming Hadid Tower.

The courtyard typology approached as a key design driver informed the internal distribution of the space as well as the architectural language of the buildings. Thus, the living rooms are facing outwards, while the external façade blurs the boundaries between inside and outside, public and private, with big openings and deep balconies registering views of the city and the future park.  The timber cladded internal façade hides behind it the more intimate spaces, such as the bedrooms and the kitchens facing the courtyard.

The architectural language is mainly characterised by the sinuous profile of the roofscape metaphorically seen by the designers as the “fifth elevation” that generates a sense of consistency across the complex ranging in height from 5 to 14 storey-constructions.

About the Speaker

As an associate since 2014, Maurizio Meossi has led design teams for other large scale residential projects such as the Grace on Coronation residential towers in Brisbane, Australia (currently under construction) and two developments in Mexico, including the Esfera Monterrey project, a low-rise, but high-density complex of 981 apartments.

Over the last years, Maurizio Meossi has been leading several large scale projects around the world, specialising in mixed-use and residential design. Besides the Citylife Milano Complex, Meossi also acted as the project architect for Sunland Towers on the Gold Coast in Australia, an ambitious project that aims to redefine the concept of residential design. For this architectural intervention composed of two housing towers located near the water front, the design team has also allowed for the incorporation of a cultural centre, an aquarium and a museum. Once completed, these new additions aim at improving the local tourism.

In addition to his successful activity in practive, the Italian architect with a Master’s degree from the Architectural Association in London, has held an academic position at the Universita di Firenze and has attended numerous lectures at universities in Italy as well as in the United States.

Zaha Hadid Architects’ Awards (Selection):

AJ 100 Contribution to the profession (Zaha Hadid) 2016

AJ 120 International Practice of the Year (Zaha Hadid Architects) 2015

RIBA Award Prize (Guangzhou Opera House) 2011

RIBA Stirling Prize (Evelyn Grace Academy) 2011

Woman of the year Outstanding Achievement Award 2010

RIBA Stirling Prize (MAXXI, National Museum of XXI Century Arts) 2010

Architektur Prize, Building of the Year (BMW Central Building) 2005

RIBA Medal, European Commercial Building of the Year (BMW Central Building) 2005

London Architect of the year, London Architectural Biennale, 2004

Laureate of the Pritzker Prize, 2004

Rosenthal Centre for Contemporary Art, Cincinnati – RIBA Worldwide Award, 2004