Interview
Edoardo Petri
1 Please give us a brief bio of yourself and your design background.
I was born in Italy on 06.06.1974. I graduated with honors from the University of Architecture in Venice in 2003 with Prof. Alberto Cecchetto. Sensitive and attentive, during my studies I have undertaken an intense research activity on spatial continuity, understanding it as a flow of events, in search of a balance and freedom between space, form and function, subsequently determining the aesthetic and qualitative value of his works. I started successful collaborations with important architecture and interior design firms experimenting with different design methods. My studio, opened in Udine northern Italy in 2007, deals with very different themes in scale and complexity. But characterized by a style closely linked to a thought of indissoluble uniqueness where the compositional process based on contemporary anologies creates new languages and architectural spaces. Dynamism and spatiality become fundamental matrices in my projects, dedicating great attention to the nature of the materials and their prerogatives existing at the moment of the compositional act. In my architecture, there is always a bilateral relationship between architecture and human being and between human and nature, man and space live a symbiotic relationship. Recognizing design as a free source of creation where you can express your ideas immediately. I have helped realized numerous projects for well-known Italian furniture companies. There are numerous projects carried out, published and reported. Today, I develop architectural projects between Italy and China and since 2016, I have lived permanently in Shanghai where I am a founding partner of L'IDeA Living and artistic director. Sharing the Chinese people the Italian style that is distinguished all over the world as made in Italy.
2 What made you become/why did you choose to become a designer/artist?
Since childhood I have always been attracted to drawing and this has allowed me to vent my imagination on the sheet of paper. Over the years it has become natural to attend schools where I can express my need. The discovery of architecture and design freed my creativity by focusing on the creation of space.
3 Tell us more about your business/company, job profile, and what you do.
I have for some time worked between Italy and China, thus internationalizing my work and my projects. I always try to develop and tackle projects on different scales and with different complexities. Each project is a mission to be completed with the utmost professionalism and innovation by exploring new concepts, materials and technologies. My team is made up of young designers of various nationalities which allows me to extend and improve my projects.
4 What does “design” mean to you?
For me, design is a source of maximum expression of freedom.
5 What’s your favorite kind of design and why?
My favorite design is the one that lasts over time and doesn't follow trends
6 To you, what makes a “good” design?
Good design is not decoration but spatiality. Knowing how to design a space following the senses, movements of the human being and his perceptions is the basis for good architecture, while for the design of an object its functionality is linked to aesthetics.
7 Describe your design style and its main characteristics.
My style is eclectic I never stop at one type I always try to explore new ways and solutions. Live life intensely and all its aspects I design based on my mood and the feelings of the moment even if I certainly try to get to the essence of the lines and planimetric clarity.
8 Tell us about your design process.
My style is eclectic I never stop at one type I always try to explore new ways and solutions. Live life intensely and all its aspects I design based on my mood and the feelings of the moment even if I certainly try to get to the essence of the lines and planimetric clarity.
9 Do you think your country and its cultural heritage has an impact on your design process?
Yes, my country is the Italy where I was born certainly had a very strong impact. Italian history and architecture have forged me to perceive and pursue a mission aimed at the search for beauty
10 Congratulations! As the winner of the 2022 MUSE Design Awards, what does it mean to you and your company and team to receive this award distinction?
It is a very important award and we are proud to have received it. The prestigious international jury that makes up the Muse awards is a certainty for the selection of quality projects. This recognition allows me to highlight my work to an enlarged audience of people and to increase the value of my work that I do with a lot of passion.
11 Can you explain a bit about the winning work you entered into the 2022 MUSE Design Awards, and why you chose to enter this project?
The Concept of the Bar was born as an extension of the ground floor space used as a Show-room of imported Italian furniture and develops on the second floor over an area of 270 square meters in the heart of Shanghai. The first Design - Sexy - Art Bar in Shanghai born from the desire to export Italian Life Style. The cocktail bar space is a secret place and is accessed via a staircase hidden behind a curtain positioned inside the Showroom itself. Show-room during the day, cocktail bar at night. Hence the name "The Showroom" Italian architect, Italian supplies and Italian style make it an irresistible mix thanks to the attention to every detail. The upper floor immediately immerses you in a new visual and emotional experience. A succession of hidden rooms and private rooms tell a defined theme inspired by wallpaper where seduction, provocation and irony are the design theme. Walking through the rooms you enter totally different imaginary worlds that inspire different sensations to those who walk through them or to those who stop there in a precise sequence. The conclusion or the beginning of everything is the bar room made of total black steel where it is the light that transmits color and not the furnishings as in the other rooms. Leaving reality and plunging into another dimension has always been a founding theme of mine in my projects. High-value designer furnishings
12 What was the biggest challenge with this project?
The biggest challenge was to create a creative space where you could tell a visual design path that attracted the senses, provoking emotions and intriguing atmospheres that could be interpreted according to one's mood or character. It was a concept challenge and given the success I believe I have succeeded.
13 How has winning an Award developed your practice/career?
winning an award is an important recognition of the work done and often for a client is an important aspect to be evaluated in order to be able to entrust you with a project.
14 What are your top three (3) favorite things about our industry?
Creative moment
15 What makes your country specifically, unique in the design industry?
Certainly its history and complexity but also the difference in historical periods that have formed incredible cities, architectures and spaces. The history of product design instead stems from Italian creativity and eclecticism but also from the great ability to work the material and create impeccable artifacts.
16 Where do you see the evolution of design industry going over the next 5-10 years?
I see design today in all fields as a fundamental part of our life
17 If you were a student entering this industry or an aspiring MUSE Design Awards submitter, what advice would you give them?
To be passionate, curious and excited every time you tackle a new project.
18 What resources would you recommend to someone who wants to improve their skills in the design industry?
Continuous study and research are the best vitamin.
19 Tell us something you have never told anyone else.
The creative act is an artistic orgasm
20 Who has inspired you in your life and why?
Surely I was inspired by the architect and designer Carlo Scarpa a very sensitive man capable of finding a poetic in each of his projects but also the scrupulous attention to detail inspired me and pushed me to look at the micro and macro in each of my projects.
21 What is your key to success? Any parting words of wisdom?
I believe in knowing how to observe and then analyze today's world; society, individuals, spaces, nature, technology and much more knowing how to interpret these complexities by combining them within my projects, creating a guide and putting things in order.
