(“Text vas submitted by architect”)
Francesco Busi
Mario Ambrogi
Practice Ideology
Fōntego Architettura was founded in Florence in 2014 following the meeting of Francesco Busi and Mario Ambrogi during their studies at IUAV University of Venice. Their strong friendship and continuous collaboration throughout their university years naturally and instinctively led to the creation of a studio—born out of a shared vision of architecture and a relentless pursuit of innovative design solutions.
The word fontego — the Venetian term for fondaco — embodies the idea of an enclosed space, like the physical setting of an architecture studio, yet one that remains open to exploration and receptive to outside influences. These external inputs, however, are always filtered—much like a frontier or a customs checkpoint—through the studio’s fundamental design philosophy: a commitment to simplicity, clarity, and contemporary architectural expression.
Over the years, the studio has grown alongside its projects, taking on increasingly larger scales while remaining anchored in the core principles that first brought the two architects together.
Central to their approach is the pursuit of reduction—stripping away the unnecessary.
This is not about adhering to a minimalist style but rather about stepping away from stylistic definitions altogether. Each project is seen as a fascinating set of challenges to be solved, with the goal of addressing as many as possible through the fewest possible architectural gestures.
