Francesco Fresa is the co-founder of the studio Piuarch – a multi-award-winning international architecture and urban design studio – that sees comparison, dialogue and team work as added values for every project. Piuarch is a collective that finds strength in its plurality, made up of different backgrounds and identities that guarantee a multifaceted approach to their work. It is precisely this heterogeneity that defines a harmonious whole, a sort of orchestra, in which group recognition counts far more than personalisation and the passion for making architecture becomes the driving force.

The subject of his lecture is the design of iconic architecture for large fashion houses. In more than 20 years, Piuarch has designed headquarters, offices and showrooms for Gucci, Fendi, Dolce&Gabbana, Givenchy, Kering – and many more besides – all over the world. Francesco Fresa recounts anecdotes, stories and unusual facts to describe how to achieve the perfect balance between brand identity, style and architectural vocabulary; he reveals the approach that means being able to build unique and distinctive buildings that always chime with the aesthetic vision of the brand.