Archello Podcast

In this episode, Archello is in Paris with Odile Decq of Studio Odile Decq, who established her own office shortly after graduating from architecture school in Brittany in the 1980s.Decq is a prominent French architect renowned for her bold, avant-garde designs. Her notable projects include the extension of the Macro Museum in Rome and the Phantom Opera Garnier restaurant in Paris. In addition to her architectural practice, she founded the Confluence Institute for Innovation and Creative Strategies in Architecture, which emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches in architectural education.Listen as Decq speaks about her background, her integration of striking forms with practical design, and her motivation for introducing a new model of architectural education in France.

In this episode, Archello is in Paris with Dominique Perrault, who founded Dominique Perrault Architecture (DPA) in 1981 after graduating from the École des Beaux-Arts. Over forty years, Perrault has become a key representative of contemporary French architecture, both in France and internationally. He first gained widespread recognition for designing the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris in 1989. Other notable projects include the Velodrome and Olympic Swimming Pool in Berlin, the EWHA Women's University in Seoul, and the DC Tower in Vienna. Perrault received the Praemium Imperiale award in 2015, among other recognitions.Listen as Perrault speaks about his experience with design competitions, his explorations with natural topography, his new book, and his work for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

In this episode, Archello visits the newly-launched London office of Sordo Madaleno, a leading Mexican architecture firm based in Mexico City, and one of Mexico's largest practices with over 200 architects.  The interview is with Fernando Sordo Madaleno de Haro and Rosalba Rojas, two leaders in the office of Sordo Madaleno, which was founded by Fernando’s grandfather in 1937. Fernando, who is a partner in the firm, moved to London last year to set up a new international office for the practice. Rojas is an architect based in the Mexico office, where she directs the Sordo Madaleno Foundation and leads its archival work.Listen as Sordo Madaleno and Rojas discuss Sordo Madaleno’s history, its projects in Mexico and Europe, the experience of opening a UK office, and the foundation it established after discovering a lost treasure trove archives containing both built and unbuilt projects.

In this episode Archello is in London with Mario Cucinella, who runs his own practice Mario Cucinella Architects which he first founded in Paris in 1992, and then moved to Italy, where it now has offices in Bologna and Milan.   With over 20 years of experience, MCA excels in architecture that emphasizes sustainability and environmental impact. Its portfolio includes acclaimed projects in product design, buildings, and urban master plans. In 2015, Mario founded the School of Sustainability (SOS) in Bologna, a post-master's program for training professionals in sustainable design. His contributions to the field have earned him the Honorary Fellowship from the American Institute of Architects and the International Fellowship from the Royal Institute of British Architects.Listen as Cucinella speaks about background in Italy, his writing, some of his recent and upcoming projects, and how he approaches design by considering the environment and technological innovations from today as well as historically.