Ordinary Beauty. An Italian Scenario
Ordinary Beauty. An Italian Scenario is the editorial project curated by Associates Architecture that brings together the work of sixty-one Italian studios, exploring the relationship between the ordinary and architecture. A volume that becomes an opportunity for dialogue, which we hosted at our headquarters for its presentation.
QuadroDesign recently hosted, at its headquarters in San Maurizio d’Opaglio, the presentation of Ordinary Beauty. An Italian Scenario, curated by Associates Architecture. An event that brought together architects, studios, and guests from across Italy, placing the theme of the ordinary at the center of the discussion as a fertile ground for architectural research and practice.
The volume, published by Caryatide, originates in 2022 when Associates Architecture was invited by the Italian Ministry of Culture to propose a curatorial concept for the Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale of Architecture. From this opportunity, the idea evolved into an independent editorial project, aiming to highlight a generation of Italian architects engaged in rethinking the relationship between everyday life and architecture.
After two years of work, the book brings together the contributions of sixty-one studios across the country: projects, texts, and images that invite us to shift our gaze toward what is usually overlooked—the spaces we inhabit daily, the landscapes of the ordinary, the architectures that form the constant backdrop of our lives. What emerges is an open-ended reflection, not intended to be exhaustive or conclusive, but rather to suggest pathways and possible future directions
It is no coincidence that Associates Architecture chose QuadroDesign as the venue for the book’s launch. Our headquarters, set in a provincial context shaped by industrial stratifications, embodies that family-run entrepreneurial fabric which represents a fundamental part of Italy’s productive identity. In this sense, the inclusion in the book of the refurbishment of our cabin, designed by Studio Wok, becomes emblematic. In their essay, Marcello Galiotto and Alessandra Rampazzo of AMAA describe it as “an episode of industrial archaeology, embedded within an uncontrolled density, the outcome of insufficient planning”: a fragile context, yet one that opens opportunities for meaningful design.
The structure of the book unfolds across three complementary levels. The first is a journey through ordinary Italy, portrayed by Italian and international architectural photographers who reveal a complex and layered landscape. The second gathers reflections by architects on the everyday aspects of practice—relations with clients, the management of budgets, working in peripheral contexts, engaging with academia, and the role of public competitions. Finally, three scholars—Alberto Ferlenga, Fabrizio Gallanti, and Angela Vettese—offer free and personal interpretations on the theme of the ordinary, weaving together concepts of beauty, quality, and life.
The presentation was followed by the opening of Laboratorio Ordinario, a site-specific exhibition curated once again by Associates Architecture. Fifteen projects, selected from those featured in the book, were displayed through models, mock-ups, and material samples: tangible fragments of the design process, revealing the substance and density of the work carried out by the studios involved.
