Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia, diversity in architecture

Alfonso Femia was born in Calabria and graduated in architecture from the University of Genoa. Later on, he founded Atelier(s) and became the creator and co-founder of the 5+1 agency in 1995. Renamed 5+1AA in 2005, the agency changed its name again to Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia in 2017. Established in Paris, Milan and Genoa, the organisation has grown over the years. This is evidenced by a variety of projects and large-scale achievements, as well as constructions covering all scales and typologies.

The Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia have won numerous awards and have been selected for various exhibitions at the Venice Architecture Biennale, as well as for the European Mies van der Rohe Award. In addition to his reflections on the city and the territory, Alfonso Femia is interested in the Mediterranean space, which he sees as a laboratory. In 2022, the multi-talented architect launched the ‘Biennale dello Stretto’, a meeting on art, architecture and design that takes place between Sicily and Calabria. Femia, an artful man, in not one who is known for his compromises. His career, that is dotted with great moments, is the result of countless decisions. Let's discover some of the projects of Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia.

The ‘Docks de Marseille’

Alfonso Femia was commissioned to restructure the ‘Docks de Marseille’ into a mixed-use space combining shops, leisure activities and events. It is a substantial programme that has consisted of revealing the beauty of a high-quality industrial site. The transformation of the ‘Docks de Marseille’ is an edifying one. Thanks to the intervention of Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia, the links between the site and the city have been strengthened, as have the links between the past and the future. The architect's work was very subtle, with the building opening out and extending towards the sea. Various breaches, transparencies, new connections and also interior development of the courtyards create a certain porosity between the site and its context. Regenerated, the old warehouses are beginning a second life. The project has received several awards, such as an honourable mention at the ‘Philippe Rotthier’ European Architecture Prize - theme ‘Water, architecture and the city’ (2017), Iconic Awards, winner of the ‘Best of Best’ award (2017), ULI Global Awards for Excellence (2016), MIPIM Awards, prize for the ‘Best Shopping Centre’ (2016) and was nominated for the ‘Mies Van Der Rohe’ Award (2017).

Housing and student residence in Asnières-sur-Seine

The project in the ZAC Parc d'Affaires in Asnières-sur-Seine (about 8 kms from the city centre of Paris, Ed.) was delivered in 2023. It is located on an industrial site, which has since been transformed into a diverse part of the city consisting of offices, shops and housing. Alfonso Femia has designed two separate entities comprising housing and a student residence. Each building consists of a ground floor and nine upper storeys. There is nevertheless a subtle dialogue between the two structures thanks to the colour and materials used. The complex has been awarded the NF HABITAT HQE Excellent Level Profile label.

Innovative office complex in Cesson-Sévigné

In Cesson-Sévigné (commune in Brittany in northwestern France, Ed.), Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia has created a set of innovative offices dedicated to cybersecurity and consisting of, among other things, office space, a work café, meeting and training rooms. There are also several social areas, spaces dedicated to temporary activities, co-working spaces, accessible terraces and three levels of underground parking. It shows a simple, unadorned form with a lattice-like architecture that creates a perception of interior space and exterior landscape. The various spaces are generous and bright, the aim of such a gesture being: ‘To refocus the identity of the place in order to restore its primary value.’ The project, that was delivered in October 2023, has received several HQE labels such as BREEAM (Very good) and Wellbeing (Silver).

Le Spot, tourist complex in La Ciotat

Le Spot in La Ciotat (commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in Southern France, Ed.) is a multi-purpose centre housing with a range of leisure and commercial activities, a multiplex cinema, a laser game centre, public spaces and also a 101-room hotel with a panoramic terrace and swimming pool, as well as an Appart Hotel residence with 39 suites. On a strategic plot of land with a total surface area of 16,386 m², located at the corner of Avenue Emile-Bodin and Avenue Caporal-Chef Alain-Deruy, Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia have created a remarkable project. With the aim of creating a building that emphasises living together, Alfonso Femia has developed his programme along several major axes that interact with each other: the multiplex cinema, the multifunctional centre, the hotel and the Appart Hotel. One axis, transversal to the others, is the development of nature. The presence of plants on the site has been increased and ‘Le Spot’, located not far from the Ancre Marine shopping centre and the open-air casino, is now the new leisure centre of La Ciotat.

Restructuring of the Pasteur site at the University of Avignon and construction of La Villa Créative

The programme includes an auditorium, a living lab, coworking spaces, and also a centre for audiovisual training and research in addition to a digital garden. Developed over an area of 4,000 m², the skilfully designed complex for the Rectorat de l'Académie Aix-Marseille, which is the project owner, meets several criteria. The Villa Créative is the new hybrid site for training, creation, innovation and research that will be completed in 2025. Alfonso Femia is working on an exceptional site that builds bridges and interactions between artistic and scientific disciplines. Working in such places means mastering certain concepts that the architect handles with brio. Once completed, this heritage site near Avignon will be open to anyone wishing to contribute to the cross-fertilisation of expertise and the development of research.

Among the Italian projects of Atelier(s) Alfonso Femia, several programmes stand out. These include the restructuring of the Frigos in Milan, the construction of the new headquarters of BNL-BNP Paribas in Rome, the construction of the new headquarters of Vimar in Marostica (small town in the province of Vicenza, Ed.), the Dallara Academy in Parma and the The Corner tertiary rehabilitation in Milan. In Italy, several competitions have been won, such as the restructuring of the Mint in Rome, the construction of the Porto Corsini port terminal in Ravenna, the restoration of the Citadel of Culture in Messina, the construction of the Marghera port terminal in Venice, the extension of Salerno airport, the new law courts in Bari, the new seafront in Reggio Calabria and the new headquarters of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region in Trieste. In France, we can cite the redevelopment of the Place Charles de Gaulle in Ajaccio, the capital of Corsica, the first co-living tower in La Défense and many other projects that will enrich the list of achievements of an agency that has prospered and grown over the years. Alfonso Femia does not like negotiations but accepts his choices regardless. The architect, true to himself, does not hesitate, when necessary, to think outside the box to write a new story.