Welcome to the third episode of our Design Your Life Architecture series - From Lego to Skyscrapers featuring Zaha Hadid Architects Director, Gianluca Racana.  

This series is dedicated to exploring the lives of architects, when did they first discover their love for it, what makes them tick and how they handle the responsibility that comes with designing the places, cities and buildings that will stand for generations to come. 

In this episode Gianluca delves into his early life in Rome and what brought him to London where he completed his postgraduate studies at the Architectural Association, obtaining his Master’s degree in Architecture and Urbanism.  

Gianluca goes on to discuss how his career began with Zaha Hadid Architects in the year 2000 and the significance of their first major project and one of Rome’s most talked about contemporary buildings, the MAXXI - National Museum of 21st Century Art and Architecture.  

The boldly imaginative and controversial building sat in heavy contrast to its traditional surroundings in the Flaminio neighbourhood of Rome. Despite initial scepticism the site has become a cultural hub and went on to win the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stirling Prize. 

Gianluca shares many of his learnings from being a part of such a ground breaking and significant project. 

Vince and Gianluca go on to discuss the importance of not following trends when designing public buildings, but to design for the users and their habits in and around the site along with the need for ample natural light and public areas for communication and connection.