Fabio Novembre on Playful Architecture and Design
Fabio Novembre, who hails from Lecce and was born in 1966, completed his Architecture degree at Politecnico di Milano in 1992. Since 1994, he has been at the helm of his own studio. His portfolio includes collaborations with prominent brands, such as the Nemo armchair for Driade, the Bisazza showrooms, Casa Milan, Lamborghini's headquarters, and the Padel Pavilion showcased at Milan Design Week 2023. Serving as the scientific director of Domus Academy and a member of the Design Museum committee at Triennale di Milano, he recently shared insights on the gravity of contemporary architecture. He pointed out the 2016 ban on skyscrapers by the Chinese Communist Party and expressed skepticism about the metaverse, citing recent layoffs at Disney and Microsoft as signs of diminishing excitement.
Key facts
- Fabio Novembre was born in Lecce in 1966 and graduated in Architecture from Politecnico di Milano in 1992.
- He has led his studio since 1994.
- He has been artistic director of Driade since 2019.
- His works include the Nemo armchair, Bisazza showrooms in New York and Berlin, Casa Milan, Lamborghini headquarters, and the Padel Pavilion at CityLife.
- The Padel Pavilion debuted during Milan Design Week 2023.
- He is scientific director of Domus Academy and member of the scientific committee of the Triennale di Milano's Design Museum.
- In 2016, the Chinese Communist Party banned overly tall or eccentric buildings.
- Novembre cites Arthur C. Clarke on technology and magic.
- He grew up with masters Sottsass and Mendini, and references Andrea Branzi's concept of useless objects.
- His first industrial design was a table with 175 legs for Cappellini.
- He identifies the Netherlands and Scandinavia as countries inclined to architectural experimentation.
- Disney laid off 7,000 people including its metaverse team; Microsoft did the same months ago.
Entities
Artists
- Fabio Novembre
- Ettore Sottsass
- Alessandro Mendini
- Andrea Branzi
- Arthur C. Clarke
Institutions
- Politecnico di Milano
- Driade
- Bisazza
- Domus Academy
- Triennale di Milano
- Cappellini
- Corriere della Sera
- Disney
- Microsoft
Locations
- Lecce
- Italy
- Milan
- New York
- United States
- Berlin
- Germany
- Bologna
- CityLife
- Netherlands
- Scandinavia
- China