Mario Botta on Mendrisio's Academy of Architecture and the Fiore di Pietra

In an interview with Artribune, architect Mario Botta reflects on the 20-year impact of the Accademia di architettura in Mendrisio, which he helped found. The school, born from favorable political and cultural circumstances and a desire to honor local history, now hosts over 800 students from 40 countries. Botta emphasizes its humanistic curriculum, arguing that architects need philosophy, history, and art history to navigate globalization. A new Teatro dell'Architettura, inspired by anatomical theaters, will open in autumn 2017 with exhibitions on Louis Kahn, Atelier Riccardo Blumer, and Koen Vanmechelen. Botta also discusses the Fiore di Pietra, an octagonal stone structure atop Monte Generoso that serves as a restaurant and belvedere. Built with a 2.5-kilometer cable car to protect the ecosystem, the building's design evokes a flower opening upward. The interview covers the academy's identity distinct from Zurich and Lausanne's polytechnic schools and its commitment to critical consciousness in architectural education.