Page 4 - AIT1216_MatteoThun

SERIEN LEHRJAHRE BEI ... • WORKING AT ...

Mailand M r Graf, you graduated with a bachelor in architecture from Munich technical
university. Since October, you have been studying interior design at the
Royal College of Art in London. Did your internship at Matteo Thun & Partners in
Foto: Felix Constantin Graf Antonio Citterio & Patricia Viel, www.citterio-viel.com My parents own a company for interior construction. Already when I was a child, the
Milan have anything to do with changing the course of your studies?
Weitere Architekturbüros:
joinery was my playground. Later, I decided in favour of studying architecture becau-
Francesco Librizzi, www.francescolibrizzi.com
se, in my opinion, this is the ideal basis for an interior designer and because the
bachelor- and master-system allows this change of discipline. During my internship
at Matteo Thun & Partners, I was able to experience what it means to be working in
an office where employees from several disciplines are frequently working together
on one project. This holistic designing by specialists from architecture, interior design
and product design eventually convinced and encouraged me to go to London.

r How difficult is it to get an internship in this renowned architectural office?
Which are the prerequisites one should fulfill?
Personally, I believe that my basic approach of looking at a design in an interdiscipli-
nary way helped me to get the internship. A great chance! It is also an advantage to
speak several languages since Matteo Thun & Partners is an international enterprise.
Ideally, one should speak German, English and Italian. Working there means thinking
outside the box and really being integrated. Not last, the office works on a wide
variety of projects.

r Matteo Thun is a brand. Please give us an insight into the working world of this
office which, as you said, covers a large spectrum of work …
The approximately 80 employees are from all continents and bring different cultural
backgrounds. For some years now, there has also been an office in Shanghai. This is
Waldhotel Healthy Living in Bürgerstock (Schweiz): über ... • Waldhotel Healthy Living in Bürgenstock: ... very exciting since, in this way, various ideas can be integrated into the projects. The
teams consisting of architects, interior designers and stylists develop simultaneously
and, above all, jointly, the idea, the concept, the design and the details. At Matteo
Thun & Partners, one works in an open-plan office with flat hierarchies. This open-
ness also promotes the direct exchange between the different departments. The
employees are very open as well. A title or a degree are not in the foreground – what
indeed counts is the qualification, the attitude and the team spirit. The studio also
has a very attractive kitchen where, for all the employees – and free of charge! – a
fresh lunch is prepared. The kitchen is the meeting point for informal talks so that,
as time goes by, one gets to know many colleagues better.

r You were able to participate on the Waldkrankenhaus Eisenberg, one of the
largest orthopaedic clinics in Europe. What were your tasks regarding this project
into which certainly all the office’s experience with hospital was integrated?
I was very lucky to be allowed to cooperate on this exciting project. The
Waldkrankenhaus Eisenberg – a facility with 240 beds – is being constructed in coop-
eration with the Düsseldorf planning office HDR TMK and was chosen by the ministry
responsible in Thuringia as the most sustainable, ecological and economical project
... 4800 Quadratmeter Spa und Wellness (2017) • ... More than 4,800 square metres of spa and wellness (2017) of the federal state and supported with the corresponding subsidies. The basic design
purpose of the architectural and interior-design concept is to increase wellbeing. The
Neues Konzept für die InterCityHotels: „Zuhause sein“ • New concept for the InterCityHotels
patients take centre stage and are meant to feel like they are staying in a wellness
hotel for convalescing more quickly in a humane, pleasant ambience. I cooperated
on the planning of the design and the construction documentation in the architectural
department, attended a specialist trade fair for medical technology and, later, also
participated in developing the mock-up room of the patient rooms. For designing the
rooms, we also worked closely with the clinic in order to ensure optimal working con-
ditions. With this project, I was able to experience in the course of months how the
interdisciplinary exchange between architects and interior designers works.

r Which are the important experiences you were able to make during your stay
as un intern?
Renderings: Matteo Thun & Partners, Maialnd tial elements of the design. The philosophy of the office to resort to raw materials
Sustainability is always in the focus of Matteo Thun’s work. The materials are essen-
from the surroundings and to commission local enterprises – this is definitely some-
thing I took back with me. I would also like to develop objects with which I could
contribute somewhat to making a better world. In addition, I realized how much good
communication among employees is able to achieve and how short the distances and

060 • AIT 12.2016 the work processes can become whenever there is close cooperation at all levels.