Collection: Doriana & Massimiliano Fuksas
Both born in Rome and both architects, Massimiliano Fuksas, 1944, and Doriana Mandrelli, 1955, are one of the most influential couples in the international architecture and design world. When they met, Massimiliano was already an established professional, while Doriana was a student in the department of History of Modern and Contemporary Art at La Sapienza University in Rome. After obtaining his degree in architecture in 1969 at the University La Sapienza and driven by curiosity and a rebellious nature, Fuksas joined Archigram, the London-based radical architecture movement. He then moved to Denmark where he gained experience in the offices of Henning Larsen and Jørn Utzon.
In 1967, two years before his graduation, he opened his own studio, GRANMA, with his first wife, Anna Maria Sacconi, with whom he realized large-scale projects. Their project for the gymnasium in the Paliano municipality (1982) was published in the French magazine Architecture d'Aujourd'hui, paving the way for major commissions in that country. Professional collaboration with Sacconi ended within twenty years along with their marriage. Fuksas then became romantically and professionally linked to Doriana Mandrelli. Since the end of the 1980s, the couple has worked uninterruptedly on architectural and multidisciplinary projects, coordinated by the Fuksas studio with offices in Rome, Paris, Shenzhen and Dubai, and a staff of 170.
In addition to major architectural projects around the globe, including the recent Gelendzhik Airport in Russia, the Duomo metro station in Naples and the Zhaoxin Huijin Center in Shenzhen, the office also works in the field of product design. Since 1997, Doriana, who earned her degree in architecture from EMA in Paris, has directed the design section of the studio.
Starting with the Lavinia lamp for iGuzzini, and the Tea & Coffee Towers vase for Alessi (2003), Doriana and Massimiliano have collaborated with many prestigious brands. They have been working with Zeus for over twenty years, creating the Tommaso table with benches (2009), proposed in the 2020 catalogue in indoor and outdoor versions. They designed the Baby Doll armchair and sofa for Baxter(2015); the Colombina collection of cutlery and table accessories for Alessi (2017); the blown glass pendant lamps in the Zoe collection for Venini (2014); for Vall&Valli, the H370handles; and the Ghinah wallpaper for Glamora. They have successfully designed furniture for hospitality facilities, like the Bibi and Carla cinema and theatre chairs for Poltrona Frau (2020). The awards and recognitions for their product design include the Special Mention in the Lighting category at the 2016 German Design Award; the 2014 Good Design Award for the Impronta washbasin by Catalano; and the 2009-2010 International Design Awards for Manital's Carmen handle.
