A visionary pragmatism that feeds reality with its own imaginary and believes that the latter can get in touch with reality. The perception and the transformation of reality are the keys to a conception of architecture as both body and idea, at once real and emotional, pragmatic and sensual, acceptable and yet also capable of engendering wonder as a catalyst of new understanding.
The research on matter, characteristic of the last projects made in Italy and France, is fundamental
in the reassertion of matter as an empathic dimension of architecture when it encounters the ones who live it and occupy the city. Matter wants also generously reassert the importance of a close dialog between all the actors of the project, from the client to the craftsman. The Marseilles Docks are the reflection of the main themes developed by Atelier(s) AF517: the relation between public and private, the project as a place of destination. The dialog as a project tool and the project as a dialog tool are the actions that distinguish the thought of Atelier(s) Femia, believing in the project as an opportunity of encounters and exchanges; that is measured in and with time and that makes the chronotopic dimension one of the objectives of our research.”
the Assago Retail Park, the Villa Sottanis, the Exhibition Centre in Casarza Ligure, the Blend Building and the Blend Tower for General Properties in Milan, and the Marina Residence in Cotonou (with Peia Associates).In 2005, 5+1AA was created and Alfonso Femia won the competition for the new Venice Cinema Palace with Rudy Ricciotti.In 2006, he opened an atelier in Milan, dedicated to the creation and the research on the contemporary city.
The same year, Simonetta Cenci became a partner of 5+1AA and took the role of General Manager for the Ateliers of Genoa and Milan.In 2007, he created 5+1AA in Paris, with the collaboration of Nicola Spinetto. The agency developed the master plan that allowed the city of Milan to win the 2015 World Exposition.In 2008, he won the competition for the new Fiera Milan business headquarters, built in 2010 with Pietri Architectes.In 2009, he won the competition for the redevelopment of the Marseilles Docks – for J.P. Morgan and Constructa Urban Systems – and for the Great Railways Workshops in Turin, where the 150th-anniversary celebrations of the Unification of Italy were held.
In the same year, he also completes the reconstruction of a housing complex in San Giuliano di Puglia.In 2010, he won the competition to design the Generali SGR residential complex in Milan and he also built the Toy and Arts Museum
in Cormano.In 2011, he won the Philippe Rotthier European Prize for Architecture in Brussels with the Ice Factory project in Milan and the International Chicago Athenaeum Award for the Horizontal Tower: new headquarters of the Fiera in Milan.In 2012, he developed a program of housing in Évry, designed a strategic master plan for the city of Palermo, urban programming, and study for the area around Grand Paris, a master plan for the Yeni Shenir in Istanbul, and for the Secteur Étoile in Geneva.
He then completed the building of the new Italian space agency in Rome. The same year, he won the competition for the new BNL-BNP Paribas headquarters in Rome and the competition for the urban requalification of the Michelet RRG site in Marseille with Carta Associés.
He won the Revealed Architectures Award with the Great Railways Workshops project in Turin.In 2013, he built the Deledda Centre, the requalification of the Beleno Barracks area in Venaria Reale, and the new school complex in Zugliano. He won the competition for the regeneration of the former Fitram site in La Spezia, was entrusted with the reconversion of Lots 4 and 9 of the harbor of Tangier, and with a residential project of 183 housing units in Asnières-sur-Seine. He was invited to participate in international competitions in Algeria, Germany, and China, where he was a finalist for the new cultural center of Yuangh with Marco Piva.In 2014, he won the competition for the redevelopment of the Bank of Italy in Rome.
He participated in the competition for the project of the new tramway in Istanbul and was invited to the competition for the new Ferragamo logistics center in Florence.In 2015, he completed the Marseille Docks, the university building IULM 6 in Milan, and the GLF/MSC Cruises towers in Genoa.
He won the competition for the construction of a student residence, a hotel, and offices in Créteil-l’Échat with MG-AU and the one for the Dallara Academy: the construction of a training and exhibition center in Varano de’ Melegari, Parma.In 2016, he completed the projects of the new headquarters of BNL-BNP Paribas in Rome, the residential complex gathering 183 housing units in Asnières-sur-Seine, the interior arrangement of Groupe La Poste headquarters in Paris, and the redevelopment of Cantore’s former barracks into a music school in Cuneo.
The Marseille Docks were awarded several national and international awards including the MIPIM Awards in Cannes, the LEAF Awards in London, the ULI “Global Awards For Excellence” in Dallas, and The Plan Awards. The Plan International Awards also awarded the new BNL-BNP Paribas headquarters in Rome, also a finalist in other awards, including the 2017 Mipim Awards, the Gardens of Gabriel in Asnières-sur-Seine.In 2017, the residential complex in Asnières-sur-Seine and the Dallara Academy were awarded a special mention in The Plan Awards. The latter also won the LEAF Awards in London as the best “project under construction”. The projects of the Marseille Docks, the university building IULM 6 in Milan, and the LIFE residential complex in Brescia won the First Prize in the Ceramic Tiles and Architecture Award.In 2018, Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia won the competitions for the 3* Affordable Chic Hotel in Europacity, the transformation of the former Infantry School into housing in Montpellier, and the redevelopment of two universities in Marseille and Avignon.In 2019, the Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia won the international competition for the redevelopment and recovery of the complex of the first Italian state mint in Rome and the construction of offices in the Toulouse-Blagnac airport area for the project ”Dessine-moi Toulouse”.
Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia ultimates ”The Corner”, redevelopment of a directional building in Milan, awarded, as the Dallara Academy, at The Plan Awards 2019.
The Dallara Academy and the project of the Gardens of Gabriel in Asnières-sur-Seine have also been awarded in the international Grand Prix Casalgrande Padana.In 2020 the Atelier(s) won the competitions for the new school complex of Legnago (Vr) and the Chittolina sports area in Vado Ligure (Sv), while in France, the competitions for the Construction of the Maison d’Action Publique (MAPI) of the University of Annecy, and an office building with a multifunctional hall in Cesson-Sévigné, Rennes. The housing project “Living in the Blue” was also completed.
In the same year, the CuboMagico240 was awarded at The Plan International Awards in the «industrial design» category, while the Urbagreen project in Romainville received a mention in the “Housing” category. The door handle (In)finito, designed for Dnd, is included in the Compasso D’Oro ADI Index 2020.In 2021/2022 Atelier(s) won, in Italy, the competition for the redevelopment and recovery of the first Italian Mint in Rome, for the Porto Corsini terminal in Ravenna, for the Citadel of Culture in Messina, for the Porto Marghera Venice terminal, for the Salerno airport, the Justice Park in Bari and abroad, the university campuses in Annecy and Avignon and multifunctional and residential complexes in France.Alfonso Femia is currently working on the development of projects in Uzbekistan, France, Spain and Italy and new design products are being studied.
Alfonso Femia
FOUNDER, PRESIDENT, CEO
He graduated from the University of Genoa – School of Architecture in 1992.
Register of Architects of Genoa (IT) since 1994. Register of Architects of Île-de-France (FR) since 1995. Register of Architects of Switzerland since 2014.
Alfonso Femia has been a teacher of Architectural Design Didactics at Kent State University in Florence and at the Universities of Genoa and Ferrara – Schools of Architecture.
In 2015, he created 500×100 and 500x100Talk, the city as a dialog tool. He uses the SetTalk format in Milan and the City Talk in the main European and Mediterranean cities so that the city becomes a dialog tool, a place of meetings and exchanges on the theme of the city itself.
Simonetta Cenci
partner, deputy Managing Director
Born in Genoa (IT) on September 4th, 1970.
Graduated from the University of Genoa – School of Architecture in 1995.
Register of Architects of Genoa since 2000.
Collaborator of 5+1 since 1998.
In charge of ISO 9000 quality standards since 2005, she becomes partner architect of 5+1AA in 2006.
Responsible for the coordination of the various project activities and competitions, over the years she has assumed a role in General Management of the activities of 5+1AA in coordination with Alfonso Femia.
Responsible for the design sectors related to health buildings and redevelopment/rehabilitation, she mainly coordinates the ateliers(s) of Genoa and Milan. From 2017 she is General Manager of Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia, new denomination of 5+1AA.
She has collaborated with Architectural and Urban Design Didactics at the Faculty of Architecture of Genoa.
Sara Gottardo
partner architect, director of Atelier Paris / Brussels
Born in Treviso (IT) on November 22nd, 1979.
Graduated from the University of Venice IUAV – School of Architecture in 2004.
Register of Architects in Italy since 2006 and registered to the “Ordre des Architectes Ile de France” since 2011.
After Venice, Genoa and Milan, now she lives between Brussels and Paris.
Collaborator of 5+1 since 2004.
Responsible of the Milan Atelier from 2007 to 2011, from 2014 she coordinates the team in the Parisian Atelier.
From 2017 she is project director of Atelier Paris in coordination with Alfonso Femia.
Responsible for the coordination of the design of the transversal teams of the various offices of the agency, from 2017 she is an associated architect at Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia, new denomination of 5+1AA, in Paris.
Liloye Chevallereau
PARTNER, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATION ATELIER PARIS
Born in Luçon (France) on August 23rd, 1991. Graduated from the Université de Bretagne-Sud in European project engineering.
She has been collaborating with 5+1AA since 2013.
She is in charge as director of research and development and communication in coordination with Alfonso Femia.
She oversees national and international competitions together with Simonetta Cenci and Sara Gottardo. She is responsible for coordinating teams at the Atelier in Paris.
Since 2021, she is associate director at Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia, new denomination of 5+1AA, in Paris.
Amandine Aubrée
PARTNER ARCHITECT, PROJECT DIRECTOR at ATELIER PARIS
Born in Béziers (France) on November 30th, 1991.
Graduated from the École d’Architecture de Montpellier in 2015.
She has been working with 5+1AA since 2016.
She first worked in Genoa (2016) and Milan (2017) then she joined Atelier Paris (2018) where she is mainly in charge of residential projects.
She is responsible for coordinating projects at the Atelier in Paris.
Since 2021, she is associate architect at Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia, new denomination of 5+1AA, in Paris.
Marco Corazza
Milan Atelier director
Advisory Board
Born in Pordenone on June 6th 1981.
He studied at IUAV University of Venice and graduated from the Mendrisio Academy of Architecture in 2006.
He has been a member of the Order of Architects and Planners of Milan since 2008.
After having collaborated with the Milanese studios Metrogramma and Amdl Michele de Lucchi, in 2011 he becomes director of Atelier Milan in coordination with Alfonso Femia. Since 2012 he provides teaching assistance at Politecnico di Milano.
Sara Traverso
project director for France at Atelier Genoa
Advisory Board
Born in Genoa on March 10th 1970.
She graduated from the University of Genoa, Architecture faculty in 1999.
She has been a member of the Order of Landscape Architects of Savona since 2000 and has collaborated with the studio since 1999.
In 2009 she began managing projects and construction sites in France and since 2017 she is project director for France at Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia in Genoa.
Fabio Marchiori
Project manager
Advisory Board
He has collaborated with Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia since 2009.
He initially worked in Atelier Genoa before joining Atelier Milan where, since 2016, he has been director of research and development on materials and technologies, and project manager for eastern countries.
Carola Picasso
Project manager
Advisory Board
Born in Genoa on June 2nd 1978.
She graduated in Architecture at the University of Genoa in 2005.
She is a member of the Order of Architects in Italy since 2007.
She has been collaborating with Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia since 2004, where she begins her professional career.
Within the studio she follows the executive and construction phases of various projects both in Italy and France.
Enrico Martino
project, design and graphics director Atelier(s)
Advisory Board
Born in Genoa in 1971.
He graduated in Architecture from the University of Genoa
and registered with the PPC Order of Architects of Genoa in 2002.
He collaborated with 5+1AA, now Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia,
from 1997 to 2005.
After collaborating with the Paris-based studios Dominique Perrault Architecture and Métra + Associés, since 2008 he has been studying issues related to exhibition and editorial design.
Since 2015 he has been director of interior, product, editorial,
and web projects by AF517, AF*Design, and 7.27, between Genoa, Milan, and Paris.
Angela Cavallari
Project manager
Advisory Board
Born in Legnago (Verona), in 2010 she graduates in Architecture from the University of Ferrara and then follows a master in Interior Design at Politecnico di Milano – Scuola Politecnica di Design.
She begins her carrier in Padua, Venice and Vienna to then begin her collaboration with Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia in 2015.
Within the Milan Atelier she follows the development of public projects destined to scholastic and cultural activities.
Jessica Emma Manzoni
Project manager
Advisory Board
Born in Milan on January 31, 1994.
Graduated in Construction Architecture at the Polytechnic of Milan, she has been collaborating with Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia since 2020, where she began her career between competitions and tenders. Today, she is in charge of the development of public projects and strategic redevelopment.
