Architalks

Architecture as Sensitive Narrative: The Narrative Power of Materials According to Andrea Maffei

Andrea Maffei

According to the design philosophy of Andrea Maffei, founder of Andrea Maffei Architects, matter is not just surface but a language. In this exclusive interview, the architect shares how materials transform volumetric concepts into psychological experiences, creating spaces that engage the viewer like a theatrical script. A story of light, form, and sensation, rediscovering architecture as a sensitive narrative, where emotional impact meets design precision.

Andrea Maffei graduated in architecture in Florence and then moved to Tokyo, where he worked with Arata Isozaki until 2004. During this time, he became an Associate and was responsible for Italian projects.
He led the design of the Palahockey in Turin, a major project built for the 2006 Winter Olympics, which today hosts concerts, conferences, and various events, as well as housing the Olympic swimming pool and the park in Piazza d’Armi, Turin.
In 2005, he founded his own firm, Andrea Maffei Architects, based in Milan, developing several projects both in Italy and abroad.
He won various Italian competitions, including the new Bologna railway station (2008) and the new headquarters of the Province of Bergamo (2009). He was also behind the design of the new exit for the Uffizi Gallery (2007), the new library in Maranello—opened in 2011—and the Allianz Tower in Milan, a 50-story office skyscraper, co-designed with Isozaki.
He is currently involved in the design of a school in Bovisio Masciago (MB), funded by the PNRR, and an office complex within the Red4You development in Segrate (MI).
He has been a contributor to Casabella magazine since 1998.