Babesta Beat S/S18

Architect Piero Lissoni, the visionary behind 45 Park Place, the luxury condo due to complete 2019, chats with Babesta about his work, his childhood and what he loves in NYC. ONWARD& UPWARD What did you want to be as a child? Any architecture-related childhood memory? I always wanted to be a designer and an architect, but if I could have any other profession or job, I would be a ski instructor. What qualities/characteristics/skills makes a great architect? Architects and designers need to be great observers of their surroundings and skilled problem solvers. Our job is to innovate within the constraints of our reality, and to provide creative solutions that add to the beauty of our environment. It’s a delicate dance. Favorite thing to do when in NYC? I like just walking around and being a part of the city. There’s a tremendous amount of energy and life on the streets of New York. Favorite skyline & why? New York, of course, and then there’s London and Tokyo. How do you get inspired? I find inspiration everywhere. It’s about being fully present in your environment and seeing what is around you. You need to be humanistic, I like to say, but then you need to be very self-disciplined in order to translate your inspiration into real projects. What do you look forward to in 2018? 2018 will be a very busy year. I have a lot of projects in the works and a lot projects coming to fruition including 45 Park Place here in Tribeca.

Rendering of 45 Park; Piero Lissoni, Architect; Children’s playroom at 45 Park. Images by Williams New York.

WHAT TO GET FOR YOUR BUDDING ARCHITECT? HERE ARE SOME MUST-READS FROM BABESTA’S SHELVES! Architect-in-Training

Iggy Peck Architect, 13076, $18.

Young Frank, Architect, 16738, $17.

Rosie Revere, Engineer, 15233, $18.

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babesta beat spring/summer 2014 b st t s rin /s r 8