Open lecture: Creative Empathy - Mario Cucinella Architects

D. 03.06.2026
H. 12:30

Aula Magna
FAU/UPT
Sheshi Nënë Tereza

On Wednesday, June 3rd, architect Mario Cucinella, Founder & Creative Director of MCA – Mario Cucinella Architects, will deliver a lecture in the Aula Magna of the Polytechnic University of Tirana, titled “Creative Empathy”, showcasing several projects implementing this motto, which can be summarized in his own words: “Designing sustainable buildings means establishing a direct connection with the climate and the concept of place. We must envision buildings with low visible technology, allowing form and materials to do more work as they change to become active participants in the final outcome—materials performing an invisible work, a function, and becoming part of a new circular economy. To me, this process feels a step closer to the complexity of nature rather than to mechanical artifice. Buildings with a high degree of empathy, a creative empathy.”

MCA – Mario Cucinella Architects

Founded in Paris in 1992 by Mario Cucinella, MCA - Mario Cucinella Architects is now based in Bologna and Milan, specializing in architectural design that integrates environmental and energy strategies, backed by an in-house R&D department dedicated to sustainability research. The practice has completed and is currently developing projects across Europe, China, Africa, the Middle East, and South America. Among these: the Luigi Rovati Foundation Art Museum in Milan, which received the Compasso d’Oro in 2024; the New Surgical and Emergency Center at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan; the Santa Maria Goretti Church in Mormanno; the New Rectorate Headquarters of Roma Tre University in Rome; One Airport Square in Accra, (Ghana); the new NICE headquarters in Limeira (Brazil); the Sino-Italian Ecological and Energy Efficient Building in Beijing (China); in Milan also the masterplan for MIND - Milano Innovation District, the mixed-use development SeiMilano, and the Unipol Group Headquarters; the University Campus of Valle d’Aosta in Aosta; the Ferrari e-building in Maranello; the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, which won the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Award for the best interpretation of the theme; two mixed-use towers “Viertel Zwei” in Vienna; and the MET Tirana Building in Tirana. MCA collaborates with SOS - School of Sustainability Foundation, a academy for young professionals and recent graduates that aims to provide them with the necessary tools to address environmental issues through an open, holistic, and research-driven approach. The school was founded in 2015 by Mario Cucinella and is based in Milan. https://www.mcarchitects.it/

Mario Cucinella

Mario Cucinella was born in Palermo in 1960 and graduated in Architecture from the University of Genoa in 1986. In 1992, in Paris, he founded Mario Cucinella Architects, acting today as its creative director across the Bologna and Milan offices. In 2015, Mario Cucinella founded SOS - School of Sustainability, a post-graduate program focused on sustainability themes. The impact of his work and continuous commitment as both an architect and educator on environmental and social issues have been recognized with the International Fellowship from the Royal Institute of British Architects (2016) and the Honorary Fellowship from the American Institute of Architects (2017). In 2018, he curated the Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale 2018 with the exhibition “Arcipelago Italia”. On June 20, 2024, MCA - Mario Cucinella Architects received the ADI Compasso d'Oro Award for the “Luigi Rovati Foundation Art Museum” project. He has authored numerous publications, including most recently: “Città foresta umana. L'empatia ci aiuta a progettare” (2024, published by Giulio Einaudi Editore), “Il futuro è un viaggio nel passato. Dieci storie di architettura” (2021, published by Quodlibet), “Architettura dell’educazione” (2021, published by Maggioli), and “Building Green Futures” (2020, published by Forma).