Giuseppe Farris

Founder, Partner, Head of Concept and Design of Studio Farris Architects, Belgium

Giuseppe Farris

Founder, Partner, Head of Concept and Design of Studio Farris Architects, Belgium

Biography

ABOUT

Giuseppe Farris was born in Cagliari, Italy. He achieved his Masters degree in Architecture at the University of Architecture of Venice, (IUAV) where he was inspired by his own professors, including Aldo Rossi, Bernardo Secchi and Manfredo Tafuri.

AWARDS

The Design Vanguard Award, in New York City, as emerging generations of talented architects in the world / German design awards / Double ARC16 winner (interior + furniture)

PROJECTS TO BE PRESENTED DURING THE EVENT

Project #1: The white towers – Don Bosco, Tirana

Start year: 06.01

The White Towers is a new mixed-use development in Tirana’s Don Bosco neighborhood, featuring residential, commercial, and hotel spaces. The two 25-story towers are part of a masterplan aimed at revitalizing the area. The 3,100 m² site is divided into six pebble-shaped blocks, with four forming a sculpted park and central water feature, while the remaining two are extruded into slender towers. With a small footprint of 400 m² each, the towers allow for generous green space, benefiting both tenants and the neighborhood. Shifting floorplates create terraces, and slender columns reflect the lush park below. One tower consists solely of apartments, offering 60-90 m² units with curved terraces and panoramic views. The ground and first floors house commercial and hospitality spaces, activating the park. The second tower combines 15 floors of apartments with 8 hotel floors, featuring a dedicated lobby, a rooftop bar, and a restaurant with city and mountain views. New roads will improve site access, while four underground parking levels with 240+ spots address local parking shortages. The project’s striking design aims to make the White Towers a landmark in Tirana’s evolving skyline.

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Project #2: Stable

Start year: 10.02.2016

Studio Farris Architects transformed a small barn in Flanders into an office with a meeting room, a library, office desks and a resting/reading area. The original façade was restored and new openings were created in a functional way. A new volume with the same shape of the original building was inserted. This box-in-box system improves energy efficiency and avoids any chemical reactions with sulfates in the soil and walls of the original farm. Instead of adding a second floor to the existing building, which would change the perception of the whole space, an autonomous furniture object was placed in the space, referring to the original farm and rural area. This extra object, made out of stacked up wooden beams, transforms the space into a very functional office. The manner in which the beams are stacked, created a variety of areas. On the top several workspaces were made, accommodating two desks. Underneath the workspace platform a meeting area was created, with a view of the landscape.

law office

Project #3: Parktower

Start year: 17.06.2014

The Park Tower is in a unique location within walking distance from the new MAS museum, the harbour district ‘Eilandje’, the waterfront beside the river Scheldt and the historic city centre of Antwerp. The project is integrated into the strategic development project that is aimed to transform the northern quarters of the city and it will play a connecting role between parts of the city that have been remodeled earlier. With its total height of 78 metres the Park Tower is now one of the highest buildings in Antwerp and therefore plays an important role in reshaping its skyline. The strikingly bright white exterior turns the tower into an attention-grabbing beacon that stands out as a landmark for the entire district. Located along one of Antwerp’s most important roads, the tower acts as a gateway when entering the city. The tower is a vertical reflection of a classic urban street: from the ground floor, which has a commercial function, the tower literally stacks up to host different habitation styles in the 20 higher stories. The tower comprises 360 habitation units. The first 10 floors are made up of 160 studios and 80 student rooms. This way the project offers an answer to the growing need for comfortable living space for single-person households, students, young couples and expats. On the next 10 floors we find 115 habitation units with 1 or 2 bedrooms and care facilities for the elderly. Each studio or apartment has a private terrace. To enable the inhabitants to use these terraces in a comfortable way, a particular wind protection concept was conceived by the architects. The effectiveness of this concept was then calculated and approved at the Technical University of Eindhoven. The glass panels are randomly placed, in order to reduce the wind discomfort to an absolute minimum, even at a high altitude. This allowed us to develop a playful, layered façade with a fascinating dynamic of constantly changing light and shadow. The double façade also protects privacy and reduces vertigo.