L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 3 Renzo Piano: the perfect balance between creativity and functionality over 25 major museum projects - 14 in the U.S. alone – carried out by Renzo Piano, a surprising record that makes the "archistar" very proud: "I love to design civic buildings, as they will change people's lives for the next few centuries," he said in an interview last year. Among his most renowned creations are the Menil Collection in Houston (1982- 1986), the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco (2000-2008), and the Resnick Pavilion at LACMA (2006- 2010). At present, he is also completing the renovation and expansion of the Harvard Art Museums in Cambridge, and the Whitney Museum of Art at Gansevoort in New York, due in 2015. Yet, throughout his 50-year career, the artist and native of Genoa has worked on different types of buildings all over the world, such as Potsdamer Platz in Berlin (1992-2000), the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome (1994-2002), the Maison Hermes in Tokyo (1998- 2006), the New York Times Building (2000-2007), and the London Bridge Tower (2000- 2012) - just to name a few. All of them, particularly his muse- ums, are not only beautiful and functional, but also in perfect harmony with the surrounding landscape as if they have always been there. According to Renzo Piano, architects must observe the society that is constantly changing, and become an inter- preter of the change through their work. Piano's interest in architec- ture and his design talent devel- oped thanks to academic studies Continued from page 1 The fashion world is a place that most people are unaccus- tomed to. Behind the scenes are rarely considered when the lat- est trends are brought to stores. The film The Director, directed by Christina Voros and pro- duced by James Franco, recounts the amazing work of Gucci's creative director, Frida Giannini. The documentary fol- lows Giannini and her crew for 18 months while giving the audience a detailed view of this incredible house of fashion. The Director will be showing at the Festival of Venice from September 8th to the 10th. It premiered in Rome this past Wednesday and has already captivated audiences. Gucci has been a brand name recognized international- ly throughout its more than 90 years of history. It is known for its high-end quality with a sense of class and style. The company originated in Florence in 1921 and was founded by Guccio Gucci. It gained recog- nition from Hollywood films during the sixties because actors and actresses would wear the brand name subse- quently promoting the fashion line in their movies. Gucci will gain even more recognition with this new film as it takes a personal look at how such a unique fashion house functions. Frida Giannini has continued the Gucci tradition while adding her own creative flair. Giannini became Creative Director of Gucci in 2005 after first being the Handbag Design Director in 2002 and then in 2004, the Creative Director of Accessories. She has climbed her way up the corporate ladder while making her mark on the maison Gucci. The film is set up in three different acts and although Frida Giannini and her team are the focus, viewers will be given the chance to discover the intricacies of the House of Gucci and how its style has progressed. Christina Voros and James Franco pair well together and their documentary has received international fame. Much like the fashion line itself, The Director is a film that will never go out of style. STEphANIE FRuSTAcI The Director: a Film on the Maison Gucci and Frida Giannini in Florence and at the Polytechnic in Milan, as well as to his family's construction busi- ness. After graduating in 1964, he started traveling Europe and the U.S. in search of inspiration and opportunities. In collaboration with Richard Rogers, in the early 1970s he realized the Centre Pompidou in Paris, which gained him interna- tional notoriety. His present company, found- ed in 1981 and named "Renzo Piano Building Workshop", has offices in Paris, Genoa, and New York City, and employs approxi- mately 150 people. In 2004, he also established the Renzo Piano Foundation, offering scholar- ships and internships to young architects and students. At 76, Renzo Piano is consid- ered one of the world's best architects, whose innovative, impressive, acclaimed artworks have contributed to promote Italian culture worldwide. In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 1998 and appointed senator for life by the President of the Italian Republic in 2013. Renzo Piano at his building workshop Frida Giannini with James Franco The 52-story Times Company Headquarters is Renzo Piano's first major project in New York City

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