10 Questions With... Piero Lissoni

Milan-based architect and designer Piero Lissoni, a 2005 Hall of Fame inductee, has lent his __design prowess to projects large and small, including an Alessi espresso maker, a United Arab Emirates mega-resort, and everything in between. This past year saw Lissoni's namesake firm win a speculative competition with a __design for a futuristic aquarium and planetarium on New York City's East River. Further south, Lissoni recently unveiled a model unit for Villa Lissoni, a village of Miami Beach waterfront retreats boasting Boffi kitchens and neighboring the in-progress Ritz-Carlton Residences, also by the designer. Here, the talent divulges his daily routine and what he has on the boards.

Interior Design: Where did you grow up, and how did it influence your work?

Piero Lissoni: Milano. Lucky for me, my family was very curious. My parents worked in antique restoration. They taught me to be interested in design.

ID: Your degree was in architecture, but you’ve done everything from product and furniture design to graphics and branding. What do you like most about designing a building, and how does that compare to designing a piece of furniture?

PL: At the Politecnico di Milano, we are trained to be architects. To be an architect you must be able to change up your skills and design for interiors, including furnishings. I like to design everything. My process is a bit schizophrenic, if you will—I jump in and out between scales. The most important aspect of my work is proportion.

ID: What does a typical day look like for you?

PL: It starts with an espresso macchiato and a glass of sparkling water. When I’m not traveling, I’m moving between many different teams and projects. But sometimes I need an escape—I’ll run to the museum, a coffee shop, read alone in my room, or sketch.

ID: What are a few of your recent projects?

PL: We’re currently rushing to finish new product launches for Salone del Mobile. Otherwise, we’re designing a group of buildings in Mexico City, a renovation in Budapest, and a brand new villa in Miami. 

ID: First app checked in the morning?

PL: I don’t check any app in the morning. I’m free. I’ll open up a newspaper.

ID: Picture books or Pinterest?

PL: Pinterest. I don’t use it since I’m off all social networks, but my studio uses Pinterest during the design process. 

ID: Best thing about your job?

PL: I don’t consider this a job. It’s a passion. 

ID: What thing—inside the industry or out—inspires you?

PL: One thing is not enough. What primarily inspires me is life.

ID: Latest interiors pet peeve?

PL: Purity. Purity is banal. Cross-contamination is key, whether it be east and west or modernity and antiquity.

ID: What's one thing you can't live without?

PL: Ethics.