Mario Botta was born in Mendrisio, Ticino, on April 1, 1943. After an apprenticeship in Lugano, he first attended the Art College in Milan and then studied at the University Institute of Architecture in Venice. He received his professional degree in 1969. While studying in Venice, he had the opportunity to meet and work for Le Corbusier and Louis I. Kahn.
Botta’s professional career began in 1970 in Lugano. Known for his single-family houses in Ticino, his work encompasses many other building types including schools, banks, administration buildings, libraries, museums and sacred buildings. Along his work he teaches extensively in giving lectures, seminars and courses in architectural schools in Europe, Asia, North- and South America.
Since the beginning of his career, his work has been recognized internationally and honored with prestigious awards, besides being presented in numerous exhibitions and publications.
About Architects not Architecture
Founded in Hamburg in 2015, Architects, not Architecture. aims to bring to the stage what usually goes unseen. For each event they invite three well-known architects, who instead of talking about their award-winning international projects, are asked to talk about themselves. They speak about their path, their influences and experiences, and dive deeper into their intellectual biography. This enables a better understanding of their work, without them even mentioning it.
Most of us find it difficult to speak about the relevant experiences and the impact they had on us. But isn’t it the encounters, the unique experiences, the harsh times, the wild years at university, that one friend, teacher or family member that shaped our values and thus the person we are today? And isn’t it these values that influence how and what we create?
At least this is what Architects, not Architecture. (AnA) believes, which is why they created the event format that has expanded to multiple European cities over the past five years. Each architect is asked to talk about themselves and their individual path without mentioning their work. It is admittedly hard to do so in front of hundreds of unfamiliar faces when you are only used to talking about architecture in such a setting.
We are used to seeing talks about their work, now we will have the opportunity to get to know their architecture from a very different and personal perspective.
Botta’s professional career began in 1970 in Lugano. Known for his single-family houses in Ticino, his work encompasses many other building types including schools, banks, administration buildings, libraries, museums and sacred buildings. Along his work he teaches extensively in giving lectures, seminars and courses in architectural schools in Europe, Asia, North- and South America.
Since the beginning of his career, his work has been recognized internationally and honored with prestigious awards, besides being presented in numerous exhibitions and publications.
About Architects not Architecture
Founded in Hamburg in 2015, Architects, not Architecture. aims to bring to the stage what usually goes unseen. For each event they invite three well-known architects, who instead of talking about their award-winning international projects, are asked to talk about themselves. They speak about their path, their influences and experiences, and dive deeper into their intellectual biography. This enables a better understanding of their work, without them even mentioning it.
Most of us find it difficult to speak about the relevant experiences and the impact they had on us. But isn’t it the encounters, the unique experiences, the harsh times, the wild years at university, that one friend, teacher or family member that shaped our values and thus the person we are today? And isn’t it these values that influence how and what we create?
At least this is what Architects, not Architecture. (AnA) believes, which is why they created the event format that has expanded to multiple European cities over the past five years. Each architect is asked to talk about themselves and their individual path without mentioning their work. It is admittedly hard to do so in front of hundreds of unfamiliar faces when you are only used to talking about architecture in such a setting.
We are used to seeing talks about their work, now we will have the opportunity to get to know their architecture from a very different and personal perspective.
