DONTSTOP architettura is an architecture studio founded in Milan in 2011 by Michele Brunello and Marco Brega. In 2022, it was transformed into Dontstop Architettura srl, enlarging its corporate constituent and forming a strategic alliance with Progetto CMR, a leading Italian studio in integrated design.
The structure of the studio consists of three departments: ARCHITECTURE, EXHIBIT, RESEARCH.
Each of them was created thanks to the contribution of an international team of architects, designers, urban planners and an extensive network of collaborators.
From the architectural to the urban planning scale, via BIM (Building Information Modeling) design, DONTSTOP architecture follows the complex process of project conception, management and realisation at 360°.
Among the most recent projects in DONTSTOP architecture’s extensive portfolio we mention: the restoration of Palazzo Marino, the foundation of “Zona Sarpi” (design district of Milan Design Week), the redevelopment of the San Siro Stadium (Milan), the LLac Hotel in Limone sul Garda, the construction of three new buildings for FC Internazionale in Appiano Gentile, the Spice Cluster and the collaboration for the Austrian pavilion at EXPO 2015, numerous residential projects such as “Abitare in Maggiolina” the “Parco dell’Abitare” neighbourhood in Lodi and the social and eco-friendly housing models prefabricated in wood, urban planning projects including the new Regulatory Plan of the Municipality of Pordenone and “Venice Opportunity Lab”, a strategic project for the development of sustainable tourism in Venice.
Many projects include exhibition design, temporary installations and set design for private clients and institutions such as Beijing Design Week, Salone del Mobile in Milan and La Biennale di Venezia. Participation in the latter earned the studio the ADI Design Index Award 2015 and a nomination by Domus as one of the best of 2014 for the ‘Across Chinese Cities Beijing’ project.
Finally, DONTSTOP architecture is also dedicated to research by participating in seminars, workshops and international academic debates on the topic of urban regeneration and resilience.
DONTSTOP
believes in doubt,
creates debate,
guides and marks,
erases its aesthetic.
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CLIENT LIST
MICHELE BRUNELLO
Michele Brunello, 1975, architect, designer and curator. He studied in the 90s in Venice where he worked with Giancarlo De Carlo, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Armin Linke and attended the doctorate with Bernardo Secchi. He founds the collective AttulAmente and works with the family business LAIMA.
Later he worked for 10 years with Stefano Boeri, moving to Milan, becoming partner of Stefano Boeri Architetti until 2017, co-founding SBA China. Since 2011, he has led the DONTSTOP Architettura studio with Marco Brega, with which he designs projects in Italy and abroad, including “Abitare in Maggiolina” and the restyling of San Siro Stadium and the sports centers of Inter and Milan. He shows particular attention to the themes of design and innovation developed through collaborations with Asia, as creative director of the Sino European Innovation Institute, curator of the Across Chinese Cities program at the Venice Biennale and of XPort at Suzhou Desing Week. He has published books and articles in international journals, teaches and collaborates with different universities including the Politecnico di Milano and the IUAV of Venice.
MARCO BREGA
Marco Brega (Milan, 1970) is an architect with decades of experience in the planning management and coordination of residential interventions, public infrastructures and complex buildings - specifically stadiums and sports centres. In 2011, he founded DONTSTOP architettura studio with Michele Brunello, of which he is Technical Director. Previously, he coordinated the design activity of Stefano Boeri Architetti and was the Technical Director of SBA Stefano Boeri Architetti.
Key projects undertaken with DONTSTOP architettura include the requalification and set-up for the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons of the San Siro Stadium; the coordinated image and the construction of three new buildings for the FC Internazionale in Appiano Gentile; the Cluster of Spices at EXPO 2015, various residential projects such as "Abitare in Maggiolina", the Parco dell'Abitare district in Lodi, and urban interventions including the new Town Plan for the Municipality of Pordenone.
Over the years, he has curated the design of exhibitions such as "J'arrive - Napoleon Bonaparte, the five faces of the triumph", in collaboration with the Fondation Napoléon in Paris, and "Goal! The Football Experience", for Barley Arts, held in Russia, Turkey, Belgium and Italy. With DONTSTOP architettura, following the design of the San Siro Stadium Museum, he designed the exhibition itinerary for "La Stringa d'Oro" International Football Museum in 2016, in the prestigious setting of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan.
For the Across Chinese Cities research program, Marco orchestrated the set-up of "Across Chinese Cities - Beijing" and "Across Chinese Cities - China House Vision", which spurred his participation in the Collateral Events section of International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia, in 2014 and 2016.
ANDREA ANGELI
Andrea Angeli, Architect trained at the Politecnico di Milano. He has worked with several engineering and architecture companies for the projects development at different scales, in residential and industrial areas, until the development of shopping centres, shops and offices. He was Tutor for international workshops at the Politecnico di Milano, School of Architecture and Society and was called to perform lectures and conferences in different institutions such as NABA, Sino European Innovation Institute and LABA Douala. In 2010 he began an important experience with Editoriale Domus S.p.A; becoming Consultant for the historical archive management of the famous architecture and design magazine.
In 2016 he published an important book: “Kiribati, cronache illustrate da una terra s-perduta”, of which he is co-author and illustrator. The book published by 24Ore Cultura is the result of a research on the I-Kiribati community in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
From 2015 he collaborates with Dontstop architettura as Project leader and coordinator of the Exhibition and Interior design area, in Italy and abroad.
LUCA LUINI
Luca Luini was born in Varese in 1992. He completed his university studies at the Politecnico di Milan, earning a master's degree in the Architectural Design course. During the period of specialist, he played significant international experience studying at the Faculdade de Arquitetura and Urbanism (FAU-USP) of Sao Paulo in Brazil and subsequently following the thesis project in the city of Lisbon, in a research in the field of regeneration urban disused areas. Following the diploma, he joined the professional studio activity with university research in the same Polytechnic of Milan, both as a teaching assistant and in research projects.
MIRIAM PISTOCCHI
Miriam Pistocchi was born in Teramo in 1992. She graduated in Architecture at the School of Architecture and Design "Eduardo Vittoria" in Ascoli Piceno (University of Camerino) in 2017, during her university years she was tutor in design courses. Afterwards she did an internship in Granada (Spain). In 2019 she collaborated in the realization of the exhibition "The Undomestic House. Architettura e Abitare", at the Gallery of Contemporary Art "Osvaldo Licini" in Ascoli Piceno, where she also exhibited her thesis "Abitare l'abitudine". He cultivated an interest in architectural theory and criticism by collaborating with Artribune and some fanzines in Milan. Among her main interests there are the areas of intersection between architecture, urban planning and society, particularly on the theme of housing and dwelling.
Salvatore Grasso
Salvatore Grasso (Catania, 1990) architect. He graduated in 2017 from the School of Architecture of Syracuse, S. D. S. of the University of Catania, with a thesis on urban regeneration of a suburban district of Paternò (CT). During his studies he was a tutor during the course of interior design and did his internship at the design group composed of students "Lab.Prò", participating in the design and construction of the new cafeteria of the School of Architecture CO Café_CastellOrtigia and the design and construction of pneumatic architecture in the pavilion Models of the space Thetis Arsenale, Collateral Event of the 14th International Architecture Exhibition - La Biennale di Venezia. In 2016 he collaborated with Analogique studio on the project "pe-da-gò-gi-co", second place in the international competition AAA ARCHITETTICERCASI. After graduating, he collaborated with several architectural firms, first in Catania and then in Milan. At the moment he follows the II level university master in "Project management in construction works with BIM" at the Politecnico di Milano. Since July 2019 he has been working at the DONTSTOP architecture studio.
Ricardo Carvajal
Ricardo Carvajal was born in Bogotá, Colombia in 1993. He graduated from the Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia with a thesis topic on the transformation of modernist residential architecture in Colombia. During the initial period of his university education, he was part of important research groups in Latin America and the Caribbean linked to environmental design, sustainable architecture, and construction in wood and bamboo. He works in private architectural design studios in Bogota and then returns to the Polytechnic of Turin, obtaining his master's degree in the course of Architecture, Construction, and City. In his specialist thesis project, he carries out research in the field of BIM and virtual reality for infrastructure design, from which he published articles on the use of this technology in the medical and interior design fields, also participating in conferences in Turin and Marrakech. He currently studies the II level university master's degree in Project and Contract Management in Construction Works at the Politecnico di Milano and collaborates with the research group Drawing to the Future of the Politecnico di Torino.
Pietro Olioso
Pietro Olioso was born in Verona in 1994. He earned his master degree in Architecture at Politecnico di Milano, enriching his academic curriculum with significant international experiences, such as a one-year study period at Tsinghua University in Beijing and a thematic course about public space design at Delft University of Technology. He worked in international firms, including Renzo Piano Building Workshop (Genova) and Renhe Architecture (Beijing), developing competences of architecture and urban design in several countries of the world. He is constantly committed to a personal research concerning public space and its different declinations, which includes his master thesis “Tiananmen Square: a spatial manifesto for contemporary China”, recently published on IQDesign magazine. He contributes to cross-disciplinary workshops, such as “The workplace of the future” with Sharp Europe.
IVANA GRITTA
Shanti Alberti di Catenajo
Shanti Alberti di Catenajo, 1991, designer at DONTSTOP Architettura where she follows design and exhibition projects, from concept to development and realization. She has had international experiences: in China as project coordinator of Venice Guest City program at Suzhou Design Week 2018 and in Singapore, studying at NUS (National University of Singapore), reaching among the top of ranking in Service Design competition for MOM (Ministry of Manpower) and working as management assistant and projects coordinator in a local company in the automation field. Master graduated in Product Design for Innovation at Politecnico di Milano and she has ongoing publications on social design issues, such as "Multisensory Rooms for Children with Intellectual Disabilities".
Yi Wei Feng
Guadalupe Ciocoletto
Guadalupe Ciocoletto was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1983. In 2009 she graduated as an architect from the Facultad de Arquitectura, Diseño y Urbanismo - Universidad de Buenos Aires. She co-founded and runs the architecture studio "ousia arquitectosIn 2013 she graduated with a Master's Degree in Architecture from the Politecnico di Milano. She achieves the title of Doctor of Urbanism in the Facultad de Arquitectura, Diseño y Urbanismo - Universidad de Buenos Aires in 2021 with the thesis "Aristas en el crisol. Barrio Chino y Mercado Andino. Canales de comunicación intercultural en una Buenos Aires globalizada' (Horizons in the melting pot. Chinatown and the Andean market. Channels of intercultural communication in a globalised Buenos Aires). Teacher at the Universidad de Buenos Aires (2007-2010 and 2013-2016) and Universidad de La Matanza (2020), Teaching support at POLIMI (2020). Always interested in research investigating public space and interculturality, she has participated in several research groups and international congresses and published articles in popular science journals.
Vanessa Guzzini
Vanessa Guzzini was born in Macerata, Italy. She first studied at the Academy of Architecture in Mendrisio (CH) and continued her studies at the Milan Polytechnic, where she graduated with a Master's Degree in Architecture with the thesis ''Ephemeral Landscape. Light Sceneries at Villa Adriana''.
In 2018, she participated in the Master's Degree in Museography, Architecture and Archaeology, Strategic Design and Innovative Management of Archaeological Areas.
Undertakes personal research in the field of exhibitions and museums, leading to a collaboration with the Women's Museum in Dubai in 2019.
She delves into the study of lighting design applied to both public and private space.
She dedicates herself to teaching at the Politecnico di Milano, participates in numerous competitions and collaborates with several studios in Milan.
The new technological solutions that change and broaden the face of the profession are finally the motivation to achieve the Professional Certificate in Digital Real Estate at SDA Bocconi School of Management in 2022.
She is enrolled in the Order of Architects of Milan.
Leonardo Sollami
Born in a small town south of Rome, Velletri. He graduated in "Science of Architecture" at the University of Rome "La Sapienza" in 2019 and then moved to Milan to pursue a master's degree at the Milan Polytechnic in built environment and interiors. He founded and worked for the cultural association of which he is president, "Tratti", which led him to get to know and later collaborate with different European realities. Intrigued by the new opportunities offered by new technologies, he became interested in and worked on several blockchain projects. In 2021, he began personal research into the design of virtual spaces, and in 2022, to continue this research, he founded Sesamo Lab with two friends.
He loves photography to which he dedicates his spare time.
Marco Angrisani
Graduated in "Science of Architecture" at the University of Roma with the publication of a thesis on the Parametric Optimisation of Architecture, he subsequently graduated with a Master's degree in "Building Architecture" at the Politecnico di Milano with a thesis on the Conservative Transformation of the Modern.
Marco Grattarola
He graduated in "Science of Architecture" at the Polytechnic School of Genoa and later obtained a Master's degree in "Architecture-Built Environment-Interior" at the Polytechnic of Milan with a thesis on "Active Architecture". He completed several internships in professional architectural firms and in a contemporary art gallery. Founds and edits an architecture magazine called "AGORA magazine". Founds an innovative pharmaceutical startup where he experiments his curiosity about new technologies and innovation. He plays piano and guitar as well as organising electronic music events.
FORMER COLLABORATORS:
Andrea Angeli, Shanti Alberti De Catenajo, Luca Luini, Salvatore Grasso, Rachel Nercessian, Miriam Pistocchi, Federica Landolina, Paolo Osti, Francesco Lupo, Francesca Bossi, Caterina Fumagalli, Marianna Pierucci, Giulia Benedetti, Claudia Scaravaggi, Jacopo Nori, Sara Grigolato, Alessandro Agosti, Consuelo Pellà, Olga Massaro, Elena Meroni, Francesca Cazzaniga, Mattia Depredati, Filippo Oppimitti, Terrisa Zhao, Amber Yang, Silvia Conocchia, Anna Milani, Zhang Xu, Si Qionglin, Giorgio Donà, Giorgia De Castro, Corrado Longa, Pietro Chiodi, Laura Di Donfrancesco, Hana Narvaez, Francesca Motta, Motaz Fassal Farid, Yibo Xu, Tan Shilong, Giulia Dogliotti, Vincenzo Costanzo, Ahmed Salah El Din, Isaline Maire, Angelo Renna, Xianya Xu, Dino Polverino, Angela Gigliotti, Giuditta Vendrame, Luca Moscelli, Davide Rapp, Giorgio Zangrandi, Silvia Bertolotti, Massimiliano Savino, Anastasia Kucherova, Ornella Ceresa, Pietro Olioso, Vanessa Guzzini, Marco Monico, Marco Angrisani, Leonardo Sollami, Guadalupe Cioccoletto, Jiaqi Wang, Marco Grattarola, Ezgi Deniz Ergin, Giole Carlini.
DONTSTOP NETWORK
ACADEMIC COLLABORATIONS
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS
with the most important firms of architecture
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONS
with major engineering companies for complex technical projects
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