Tell us about your studio and what was the trigger that led you to take the path of the profession as a lighting designer.

After many years of work in the lighting sector as a lighting designer and consultant for companies and architectural firms I was able to grow, learn in the field; more and more fascinated and continuously attracted by everything that light means and what can be achieved with it, I understood that in order to do this job better was to do it for me, to be able to stimulate my passion, fascinate and communicate with the outside world in freedom, without constraints and decisions of others, to be able to express myself at best by relating to the world and to find satisfaction in being able to experience beauty, the fascination, the wow effect to people.

Have you always had a passion for light or was it a sudden idea?

I remember that since I was a child the Light was my ally, the friend I turned on or carried with me in the darkest places, the thing that accompanied me in my sleep and together with her I sang. For me, light is synonymous with well-being, with quiet. Then I found myself in contact with people who dealt with lighting, who told what light was by starting to attend specialization courses where I met Claudio Valént and Marinella Patetta of the Metis studio. Two of the greatest Italian lighting designers, and for whom I collaborated. They have been of great practical teaching and personal growth and even now, when I hear you speak and tell about your projects, I get excited and I get goosebumps. This is the beauty and fascination I said before.

What should be the result for you?

Surely the right one for that project, which enhances its architecture, its function and the emotional one, where all the elements of the architectural space combine in a fluid way. That the light is integrated harmoniously with quality and paying attention to its maintenance and energy saving. It’s nice to think about how light can enter and give life to these complex architectural projects of today or the past. Light is essential to architecture.

What are the environments you prefer to illuminate, on which do you think you are more inclined or fascinated to create?

My interest is in everything that can be shed light on. From private residences, to shops, museums, hotels, city villages and green spaces where the client has an interest and motivation in doing so with quality, and because he understands its importance to make his space unique. You can have objects of artistic relevance, expensive etc,, but the envelope that contains them, if it has light, colors or materials that do not highlight its character, its perception, everything loses interest and importance. This is why I believe that we must rely on competent people specialized in various sectors, such as the interior designer, the architect and the lighting designer for the realization of a project. Designing is seen only as spending money but I assure you that this leads instead to a better result saving time and money. The work of the lighting designer is to use efficient luminaires, (energy saving) then using less and mounting them only where needed.

Well said! What is design for you? Who comes to mind when it comes to lighting designers?

Design for me is future, awareness. I want to think of design as something good to put on the market, with innovative style, in shapes, colors, materials and industrial processes destined to leave a deep mark on the collective. Thinking about this, famous designers such as Castiglioni, Vico Magistretti, Gio Ponti, Gae Aulenti, Pio Manzù come to mind. Here we talk about the history of design and lighting.

What do you expect today from you and with your work?

I want to grow with my work and experiment with the opportunities that will be proposed to me, I would like to be able to communicate something. I would like to create a custom product for architectural necessity useful for the lighting project.

As Renzo Piano wrote: “a good architect must be an anthropologist, he must know how to listen”. And in my opinion, the art of listening is not only towards people, but also towards places. And this is an extremely important step which links anthropology to architecture. What do you think?

What Renzo Piano said I fully agree with. I find it suitable for all the figures who deal with “transformation” changes or innovations of environments or places that are. Anthropology is a fascinating study of the human being that relates it to the space that unites them, and the effects that arise from this bond. I believe that like the architect, a lighting designer must also be able to observe, understand and listen by studying, therefore, what are the habits, the needs of the person and the function of the place. Light is a philosophy, but also a material that allows you to interpret and see the things that surround us, and I believe that the atmosphere of the lighting combined with the right realization of the interiors are essential to live a space with harmony, improving the living conditions and the perception of the places.

Well, a greeting you have your readers…

Believe in what you do and despite all the difficulties that there will be never lose energy and enthusiasm without not making great results, thanks to everyone and good work.

Interview by Sergio Straface