Lecture abstract: Cristiano Billia, Associate Director at David Chipperfield Architects, will present projects from the Milan studio focusing on the adaptive reuse and restoration of sites of historical and cultural significance. The studio's work on the Procuratie Vecchie in Piazza San Marco, Venice, was completed in accordance with complex heritage conservation requirements, paying close attention to the construction details. Using projects from other Italian cities, such as Brescia and Assisi, Cristiano will demonstrate the studio's approach during the initial conceptual phase.
About David Chipperfield Architects: Founded in 1985, David Chipperfield Architects has an international reputation for expertise in design process and for the enduring quality of its projects. Working across the private and public sectors, the practice’s diverse portfolio includes cultural, residential, education, retail, workplace and civic projects. The practice’s approach is grounded in a concern for the social and environmental sustainability of the built environment and its role in our collective quality of life.
David Chipperfield Architects comprises five independent offices in London, Berlin, Milan, Shanghai and Santiago de Compostela, each one embedded in their local context while united globally by common architectural ambitions. This family of studios is complemented by David Chipperfield Design and Fundación RIA – a non-profit research initiative based in Galicia – which expand the scale of architectural practice from details of product design to strategies of territorial masterplanning.
Among the practice's major completed works are the rebuilding of the Neues Museum in Berlin, Amorepacific headquarters in Seoul and The Bryant in New York. The practice has received over 100 awards for design excellence.
Cristiano Billia, Associate Director at David Chipperfield Architects Milan
Cristiano Billia was born in Trieste in 1972. He graduated with distinction in architecture from the IUAV (Venice University of Architecture) in 2000.
He joined David Chipperfield Architects in London in 2002, moving to the Milan office in 2008. He became an Associate in 2010, a Senior Associate in 2014, and an Associate Director in 2016. Over his 20-year career, Cristiano has led teams responsible for a range of international projects, spanning competitions, public and private buildings, and office, residential, commercial and cultural developments. Notable projects include the renovation of the Procuratie Vecchie in Venice, and he is currently working on the re-functioning of the Teatro Romano di Brescia, as well as significant residential projects in the Middle East and South Korea.
