Michele Busiri Vici, Roman by birth, is an Italian architect who carries on a family tradition of more than 400 years. He graduated with a degree in architecture from La Sapienza University in 1995 and moved to New York shortly thereafter, where he founded Space4Architecture, a firm that creates significant projects in the Big Apple’s urban landscape. After being a professor at Columbia University, he currently teaches at Parsons School of Design, where he inspires and trains the next generation of architects and designers. Moving to America marked a turning point in his career. New York, with its vibrant energy, offered him endless creative possibilities and enriched his professional and personal vision. We interviewed him for TheNewyorker.
Hi Michele: Tell us what was it like to move from a family with a long tradition in the Italian architectural scene to your current career in the United States, especially in a challenging city like New York?
I come from a family rooted in the world of architecture, a tradition that has been handed down since the 17th century. Growing up immersed in this world left a deep imprint on me, but my decision to move to the United States was not a forced choice. It was a burning desire for personal freedom, a search for myself beyond family expectations. I felt the need to explore new horizons, to find my own way. When I left Rome, I had not planned to live overseas forever. It seemed like a bold adventure, but it was mostly the desire to have an enriching experience. I had allowed myself one year, then had the opportunity to extend my stay for two more years in the studio where I worked, and eventually, almost without realizing it, New York became my home. My real adult life began here, at the age of 28, in the United States. In this city I found my freedom of expression. This willingness to seek my own path was my real driving force. It was the deep desire to discover who I really was, beyond the expectations and boundaries of a centuries-old tradition.
And it was from your New York experience that Space4Architecture was born…
I always dreamed of having my own studio. In 1999, together with fellow architects with whom I had been collaborating for some time, we founded our own studio in New York, Space4Architecture. The name reflected our deep connection to space, our dedication to architecture, and also the fact that there were four of us at the beginning. We were lucky enough to get some major projects right away, which allowed us to turn our dream into reality: not just a studio, but a real laboratory of ideas where we could experiment and challenge ourselves. I think this aspect was taught to me by New York itself, a city where nothing is totally destroyed but reinvented. Over time, the Space4Architecture adventure became something bigger than I had ever imagined, a journey shared with people close to me, although my erstwhile partners have since followed other paths. Today, my wife, Clementina Ruggeri, and I are the owners and share a mission of which I am deeply proud, and in which Space4Architecture is a place where the creation of living spaces, as symbols of linearity and creativity, are at the heart of our approach. Each project is an opportunity to bring to life environments that not only meet the needs of our clients, but also improve the quality of life in the surrounding community. This is our goal: to shape places that have meaning, that are not only beautiful to look at and enjoyable to live in, but that can make a difference to the people who live in them.
Michele Busiri Vici e la co-titolare e moglie Clementina Ruggeri
How has New York influenced your career as an architect and how has it inspired you?
When I started my career, architecture in Europe was a breeding ground for experimentation and theory. This fascinated me, but I felt the need for something more practical and immediate. Moving to New York was a decisive step for me. I wanted to immerse myself in a different context and find my own unique voice. New York is an incredibly vibrant city and a freedom that allows you to explore and experiment. This city taught me to integrate concepts of democracy and inclusion into my projects. The palpable diversity in every corner and its contagious energy. This has pushed me to challenge myself in new and surprising ways, not only as an architect but also as a person. Walking the streets of New York and observing life unfolding on every corner made me appreciate the beauty of spontaneity and the unexpected. New York is a symphony of lights and shadows coming together in the maze of skyscrapers and alleys. To me it is more than just a city: it is a state of mind. One of the features I find most fascinating is its grid-like architectural structure, which often leaves spaces undefined or unfinished. These “urban voids” are a source of inspiration for me, as they represent unexplored opportunities and invite new horizons to be reinvented. It was these urban voids, for example, that prompted us to enter the competition “Bold Ideas for Small Lots,” which called for filling the empty spaces between buildings that were too narrow to build more skyscrapers. Our proposal was to turn these small lots into vertical urban parks made of green ramps and plants, creating vibrant environments accessible to all. These utopian parks would act as a benchmark between affordable residential units and more private ones, encouraging interaction between neighbors and residents, but also providing dynamic and vital public spaces. This is precisely the magic of New York City, a city where challenges turn into opportunities and every corner tells a unique story. I feel fortunate to be part of this narrative.
You mentioned your desire to provide useful spaces for the community. Can you give some examples of how you have integrated social projects into your work ?
Since the beginning of my career, I have always believed in the power of architecture to positively influence the community. Space4Architecture has had many projects, as part of various organized competitions, aimed at building schools and museums, with the goal of creating accessible public spaces and enriching city life. Recently, through the important design of a twenty-seven-story tower on Manhattan’s Lower East Side in which we had the goal of creating common green areas between private homes, we had the opportunity to join Design Advocates (AD). Design Advocates is a collective of planners, architects and designers founded in 2020 in New York City whose mission is to use design as a tool to respond to social, economic and environmental challenges, with a particular focus on disadvantaged communities. The collective works on social impact projects, often collaborating with nonprofits, small businesses and other entities that need design support but may not have the resources to access traditional design services. I deeply believe that architecture is not just about construction but also a way to give something back to the community, improving the quality of life and promoting social inclusion through design.
Michele Busiri Vici e Clementina Ruggeri nello studio di Space4Architecture
What is the evolution of your connection with Italy after moving to the United States so many years ago?
The connection to Italy is an essential part of who I am, both as a person and as a professional. Even after many years in the United States, I feel a strong connection to my homeland. My family is still there, and we continue to work on projects in various regions of Italy, such as Tuscany and Sardinia. Whenever I go back to Italy, it’s not just for work reasons. I take my three children with me; I want them to grow up with both cultures. I bring them back to Italy to introduce them to our family, traditions and everything that makes our home country unique. My Italian accent is still evident, even though I have been speaking English for decades. It is a tangible sign of my connection to Italy, and I am proud to bring Italian values and sensibility with me to every project I do. Italy is not just a place for me; it is an ongoing inspiration. Although my life takes place mostly in New York, my heart remains tied to the hills of Tuscany, the beaches of Sardinia, and the vitality of Rome. This mix of influences enriches my work and my daily life, always keeping alive my connection to my homeland.
Instead, what was the experience that catapulted you out of your comfort zone and how did you deal with the challenges associated with this new situation?
Being a university professor has been a truly meaningful experience for me. After more than two decades dedicated to architecture, I found myself faced with a new challenge: sharing my knowledge with students. Teaching is a complex art, which goes beyond the transmission of content, and requires a delicate balance between students’ expectations and my teaching style. Every day, entering the classroom made me feel many emotions I had never experienced before. There was that adrenaline rush, knowing that I had to meet the expectations and curiosities of young minds eager to learn. I often found myself having to adapt and reinvent my approach to meet the needs of the students. But this experience has also given me great satisfaction. I have learned to communicate more effectively, to explain complex concepts in a clear and engaging way. My Italian accent and my passion for architecture have always piqued the interest of students, who are fascinated by my energy and dedication. Teaching in an environment other than Italian schooling has been a whole other world. The pervasive silence in the classroom, the absence of lively discussions between professors and students, all made the experience more challenging. But despite the challenges, teaching was an opportunity for personal and professional growth that I never wanted to miss. It taught me empathy, flexibility and, most importantly, allowed me to pass on my passion for architecture to a new generation of creative minds.
The article Spaces Beyond Borders: Michele Busiri Vici’s Journey from Italian Tradition to New York’s Architectural Challenges comes from TheNewyorkese.
