The Embassy of Italy in Washington host a special panel dedicated to Italian architect Piero Sartogo, renowned for his architectural achievements, most notably the design of the Italian Embassy in Washington, inaugurated in 2000, together with the other members of the design team, Nathalie Grenon and Susanna Nobili.
His project, inspired by both classical Italian design elements and the spacial layout of Washington D.C., has stood as a meeting point for cultural exchange between Italy and the U.S. This event celebrates Sartogo's contribution to Italian architecture abroad, more than one year after his passing in March 2023.
The conversation will delve into Sartogo's lasting legacy, his architectural philosophy, and the broader influence of Italian architecture throughout in the United States. It will feature insights from esteemed panelists and conclude with the unveiling of a commemorative plate honoring the project, followed by a cocktail reception.
PROGRAM
5:30 pm - Guests arrival
6:00 pm - Opening Remarks
Mariangela Zappia
Ambassador of Italy to the United States
6:10pm - Screening of the video " Piero Sartogo - A legacy in Architecture"
6:10 pm - Conversation moderated by Michele Busiri Vici, Architect and founder of Space4Architecture
Paola Antonelli
Architect and Senior Curator Department of Architecture and Design, MoMa
Nathalie Grenon
Architect and Partner, Sartogo Architetti Associati
Denise Costanzo
Associate Professor of Architecture, Penn State University
7:00 pm – Unveiling of the commemorative plate honoring Piero Sartogo
7:10 pm - Cocktail reception
BIOGRAPHIES
Paola Antonelli, Architect and Senior Curator Department of Architecture and Design, MoMa
Paola Antonelli is Senior Curator of Architecture & Design at The Museum of Modern Art, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research & Development. Her goal is to promote design’s understanding, until its positive influence on the world is universally acknowledged. Her work investigates design’s impact on everyday experience, often including overlooked objects and practices, and combining design, architecture, art, science, and technology. Among her most recent exhibitions are the XXII Triennale di Milano Broken Nature, Never Alone, on video games and interactive design, and Life Cycles, on the materials of contemporary design. The Instagram platform, book, and now podcast Design Emergency, which she co-founded with design critic Alice Rawsthorn, is an ongoing investigation on design's power to envision a better future for all.
Michele Busiri Vici, Architect and founder of Space4Architecture
After graduating at LaSapienza in Rome, Michele Busiri-Vici moved to the United States in 1995 and worked with Carrano-Wickenburg Architects in New York City. He founded S4A-Space4Architecture in 1999. Michele has worked on a variety of projects from large scale hospitality and residential buildings, to houses, interiors and custom furniture.
Together with his partner Clementina Ruggieri, they have been awarded 1st prize for the most recent “Kips Island Auditorium” in Latvia. Together with the S4A’s team, he is part of Design Advocates, a platform for architects and designers serving the public good through pro bono projects, research, and advocacy. He is a frequent visiting critic at the Pratt Institute, Columbia University, NJIT and the Rhode Island School of Design and currently teaches at the Spitzer School of Architecture at City College in New York and at Parsons School of Design---School of Constructed Environment.
Denise Costanzo, Associate Professor of Architecture, Penn State University
Denise Costanzo is Associate Professor of Architecture at The Pennsylvania State University. She is an architectural historian whose research considers Italy’s position in postwar architectural culture. Her books include the co-edited Italian Imprints on Twentieth Century Architecture with Andrew Leach (2022), and the forthcoming Modern Architects and the Problem of the Postwar Rome Prize: France, Spain, Britain, America (University of Virginia Press). She was the 2015 Marian and Andrew Heiskell Rome Prize Fellow in Modern Italian Studies at the American Academy in Rome.
Nathalie Grenon
Architect and Partner, Sartogo Architetti Associati
Canadian, Italian, and French, a childhood spent across four continents, Nathalie has developed an international background. In 1981, the collaboration with Piero Sartogo began with “Italian Re-Evolution. Il design nella Società Italiana degli anni ottanta”, a traveling exhibition in North American modern art museums. In 1984, they founded Sartogo Architetti Associati. Their architectural works are unique, defined by meticulous material selection, thoughtful spatial planning, and advanced technologies. Their ability to interpret identity—genius loci—in urban and rural settings has earned them international recognition. Notable works include: Tenuta l’Ammiraglia in Tuscany; the Italian Embassy in Washington; the OECD Masterplan in Paris; the IFAD Conference Center and Church of the Holy Face of Jesus in Rome; and the Bertalia-Lazzaretto Urban/University Settlement in Bologna.