10 Q&A with Archilovers: Ludovica + Roberto Palomba

Ludovica+Roberto Palomba, architects, work and live in Milan. They founded Palomba Serafini Associati in 1994. The golden couple of Italian design, for over 25 years have been designing products that escape the trends.

A bold design, without inconsistencies, equidistant from the excess in the decoration and radical minimalism, the result of a selection of values and themes rather than a downsizing project.

Their sign is mature and controlled, which binds coherently like a fil rouge, very different projects, where every function, every shape, every aesthetic is transverse in a temporal dialogue from one object to another from one company to another, a deconstructed vocabulary that generates a free vocabulary because as they claim “No freedom can restrict the freedom of others”.

In 25 years they have investigated practically all the types of furniture, dressing with emotions the functions without ever being repetitive even if they are recognizable.
Their products are born to last, not only in the market but especially as companions, silent and faithful in the lives of the people who choose them, this is the key to their success, the ability in a world that screams and desperately tries to be recognized, the desire to become abstract, to give lasting happiness and well-being, by participating rightfully in the customs of everyday life.

Ludovica e Roberto Palomba say "It would be easier for us to use decorations and figures of speech than to investigate politeness", their ability to project over the years has influenced many areas and has recently landed in architecture, boating and contract following the bulimic curiosity that has never left them.

Here we ask Ludovica and Roberto to give us an inside look at their work and life.

Ludovica + Roberto Palomba

1. When you were a child, what did you dream you'd become? When did you realize you’d become an architect?

Ludovica: “I think I was born to be an architect all my memories are related to spaces, details, homes and light!”.

Roberto: “When I was young, I was dreaming to work with the elephants into the circus because elephants are such a beautiful animals and through the circus travel all the time, naturally I can’t imagine to do this today. Than when I’ve started to think how to design houses for elephants and caravan I’ve understand that my destiny was to become something else”.

2. What are your passions besides architecture?
Ludovica: “All that allows me to create new scenarios in my mind, could be a book, a music text or a picture”.
Roberto: “My desire is to make people I love to live an happy life trough our works”.

Ludovica + Roberto Palomba Studio in Milan | Ph. © Sara Magni

3. What’s the projects among yours that better represents you?
Ludovica: “The one we will create tomorrow!”
Roberto: “The one we have not done yet!”

4. Name a person from today or the recent past you would invite for dinner and why.
Ludovica: “I’m undecided between Leonardo Da Vinci and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, both of them creatives mind but with a practical approach!”
Roberto: “Undoubtedly Alexander the Great, he immediately realized that to avoid wars between East and West he had to unite them into one people!”

Ludovica + Roberto Palomba

5. If you were given a chance to be reborn again, what would you want to be?
Ludovica: “maybe…Me myself and I”.
Roberto: “Alessandro The Great”.

Ludovica Serafini

6. What does your house look like?
Ludovica: “My house is constantly evolving, every six month the set up changes, now that I’m thinking about it I change the order of the stuff inside my house just like people change clothes! When you change the house walls the architecture changes too!”.
Roberto: “Which one?!”

Renovation of ex oil mill by Ludovica e Roberto Palomba

7. What’s the trip or city you will never forget and what is your dream destination?
Ludovica: “For sure I will never forget Tokyo, but someone told me that now it is possible to live also on Mars, so……”.
Roberto: “ Surely the South Africa. The destination of my dreams is my home in Puglia, because happiness is to desire what we already have”.

8. Is there a particular place in you city you live that inspires you or where you love spending your time?
Ludovica: “I’m divided between Hangar Bicocca and the Milan’s flower market!”
Roberto: “My bed, for sure!”

9. List your favorite material, shape and color.
Ludovica: “Iron, wood, linen, everything that can have a contemporary declination!”
Roberto: “White ceramics and plastics of all colors”.

10. List your favorite book, movie, song.
Ludovica: American lesson by Italo Calvino / the fifth element / the last daily mix by Spotify.
Roberto: The game by Baricco / Dumbo / Life on Mars by David Bowie.