2A+P/A is an architectural office established by Gianfranco Bombaci and Matteo Costanzo and based in Rome. The office works on architectural, urban and landscape design with a particular interest in the nature and condition of the contemporary city. It engages in a broad range of activities including public and private buildings, housing complexes, urban spaces, event pavilions, temporary installations and interior design. Together with Davide Sacconi they are Visiting Lecturers in the Architecture Design Studio n. 10 at Royal College of Art in London.
Designing projects the office investigates other designs, drawing from the rich and complex historical and contemporary heritage. It carries out a non-philological sampling that explores the potential of architectural work, which showed different and possible paths. The design thus becomes an instrument of research intended to investigate reality and at the same time construct alternative destinies, narratives and subjectivities. Architecture can give form and space to knowledge exchanges and collective rituals that escape the productive compulsion of our age.
The work of the office has been awarded in a number design competitions, among which the Piranesi Award,the Zumtobel Group award, finalist at the Medaglia D’Oro dell’Architettura Italiana and Aga Khan Award, winner of the Prix Specialé Hiver and third prize at the Asia Architecture Award. The office participated in conferences and symposia worldwide and published in a variety of international books and magazines, such as A10, Abitare, a+t, A+U, Architecture d’aujourd’hui, Architectural Review, Domus and Volume.
They also forward their research through publishing initiatives like the architecture magazine San Rocco. Recently they founded CAMPO, a space to debate, study and celebrate architecture in Rome.
The architects of 2A+P/A have publicly presented their projects at and realized site-specific installations for several international exhibitions, such as the NAI in Rotterdam, the 14th, 13th and 11th Venice Architecture Biennale, the 5th Brasilia Biennal of Architecture and Shanghai Expo 2010 inside the Italian Pavilion, the Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism in 2019. Their work was also showcased in several solo exhibitions, such as Savage Architecture in London at the Architectural Association and The Pop Out Show in Rome.
The directors studied together at Sapienza University. During their studies they started working together cofounding, in 1998, 2A+P magazine and, in 2000, the workgroup nicole_fvr. Since graduating, they have been partners of the firm 2A+P architettura until 2008, when they founded 2A+P/A. They have been visiting critics and they have run workshops in many schools around Europe. Together with Davide Sacconi they teaches in Design Studio ADS10 at Royal College of Art in London.
Gianfranco Bombaci studied at KU University in Leuven and is PhD Architect in Environmental Design. He taught at the Faculty of Architecture of Ferrara and at the master In/Arch in Rome. He curated the book Design and Anthropology by Gian Piero Frassinelli. Actually he is Visiting Lecturer at Royal College of Art in London and he is Head of School of Design of IED (European Institute of Design) in Rome.
Matteo Costanzo studied at the “Brooks” University in Oxford. He had collaborated with Domus magazine and wrote several texts and essays for international magazines and books. He taught at IED (European Institute of Design) and in the master In/Arch in Rome, at Faculty of Architecture in Bologna, at Naba and Domus Academy in Milan, Syracuse University in London. Actually he is Visiting Lecturer at Royal College of Art in London.
Prizes and Awards
– 3rd prize, New High School “Raffaello” with LGSMA and Incide Engeneering, Urbino, 2021.
– 4th prize, Renovation of Palazzo dei Giureconsulti, Milan, 2019.
– 3rd prize, Restricted Design Competition, new Library of Lorenteggio, Milan, 2018.
– 3rd prize, Asia Architecture Award 2015.
– Finalist, Aga Khan Award 2014.
– Finalist, “Medaglia d’Oro dell’Architettura Italiana”, La Triennale, Milan, 2012.
– Honourable Mention, “Zumtobel Awards”, Aedes Architekturforum, Berlin, 2012.
– Prix Specialé Hiver, Ecole Speciale d’Architecture, Paris, 2011.
– Special Mention, restricted design competition “House of Memory”, Milan, 2011.
– Honourable Mention, design competition “AAA Architetti cercasi”, Milan, 2010.
– 1st prize, design competition “Immobiliare veneziana”, Venice, 2010.
– 2nd prize, restricted design competition “iPost”, Rome, 2008.
– 3rd prize, restricted design competition “Rimesse in gioco – depositi di idee”, Rome, 2007.
– Winner project, restricted art in public space competition “Idensitat”, Calaf (BCN), 2005.
– 1st prize, invited art competition “Premio Artegiovane”, Turin, 2003.
– Mention, prize “Bruno Zevi”, Rome, 2001.
Lectures and visiting critics
– Royal College of Art in London
– Bauhaus-Universität in Weimar
– Campus Sint-Lukas, Faculty KU Leuven in Ghent
– Politecnico di Milano
– Syracuse University, Florence program
– Faculté d’architecture, University de Liege
– TU Munich
– School of Architecture, University of Liverpool
– Syracuse University, London program
– Temple University, Rome program
– Cornell University, Rome program
– School of Architecture, University of Miami
– Faculty of Architecture, RomaTre University, Rome
– Faculty of Architecture, La Sapienza University, Rome
– Kent State University, Florence program
– California State University, Florence program
– Faculty of Architecture, Second University of Naples
– Department of Science for Architecture, University of Genoa
– École Spéciale d’Architecture, Paris
– Domus Academy, Milan
– Naba, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, Milan
– Faculty of Architecture, Tor Vergata University, Rome
– Netherland Architecture Institute, Rotterdam
– Oslo School od Architecture
– MAXXI, Museum of Art and Architecture of XXI century, Rome
Main Exhibitions and Events
– Rome East, A city of collective rituals, Seoul Biennale of Architecture and Urbanism, 2019
– Patterns, What is Ornament, Lisbon Triennal, 2019
– Drawings and Projects, Galleria Antonia Iannone, Milan, 2019
– 36 Drawings, Biennale d’Architecture d’Orleans, FRAC Centre Val de Loire, Orléans, 2017-2018
– Past, present, future, Sala del Tempio di Adriano, Rome, 2017
– Present tense, Syracuse University in Florence, 2017.
– Savage Architecture, Gian Piero Frassinelli, Superstudio and 2A+P/A, Politecnico di Milano, 2017.
– Invisible Architecture, Museo Carlo Bilotti, Rome, 2017.
– Savage Architecture, Gian Piero Frassinelli, Superstudio and 2A+P/A, Kent State University, Florence, 2016.
– Savage Architecture, Gian Piero Frassinelli, Superstudio and 2A+P/A, Architectural Association, London, 2016.
– Call to order exhibition, Korach Gallery, Perez Architecture Center, Coral Gables, Miami, 2015.
– Dalla terra alla luna, curated by E. Giorgi and S. Galateo, Studio Miscetti, Rome, 2014.
– Innesti/Grafting, Italian Pavilion curated by C. Zucchi inside 14. Venice Biennale, 2014.
– Common Ground, curated by D. Chipperfield, 13. Venice Biennale, 2012.
– Italian pavilion, curated by L. Zevi, 13. Venice Biennale, 2012.
– Cities within the cities, curated by S. Boeri, Festarch, Perugia-Assisi, 2012.
– Testify! The Consequences of Architecture, curated by L. Feireiss, NAI, Rotterdam, 2011.
– The pop out show, curated by P.T. Lang and P. Ferri, Hyunnart Studio, Rome, 2010.
– Architecture&Design Film Festival, curated by K. Bergman and L. Cardello, Tribeca Cinemas, New York, 2010.
– Architecture & meubles d’architectes, Pierre Bergé associés, Drouot Richelieu, Paris, 2010.
– 27/37, curated by OICE, Italian Pavilion at the Expo in Shanghai, 2010.
– Vision. 9° Festival of Architecture and Media, curade by iMage, Stazione Leopolda, Florence, 2009.
– Out There: Architecture Beyond Building, curated by A. Betsky with E. Gandolfi, 11. Venice Biennale, 2008.
– Transmitting Architecture, XXIII UIA world congress, Lingotto, Turin, 2008.
Selected bibliography
– D. Sacconi, Gian Piero Frassinelli, 2A+P/A, “Savage Architecture”, London: Black Square Press 2016
– D. Sacconi, F. Sanin eds., “Interior Tales”, London: Black Square Press 2015
– L. Galofaro, L. Molinari, P.T. Lang, “Alternative destinies”, Seoul: DAMDI Architecture Publishing Co. 2013
– 2A+P/A, “Una Casa da un disegno di Ettore Sottsass”, Domus, n. 968, 58-63 april 2013.
– A. Labasse, “2A+P/A. Narrative Grammar”, L’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui, n.391, september 2012
– J. Glancey, “Desert flower”, The Architectural Review, n. 1376, september 2011.
– L. Feireiss ed., “Testify! The Consequences of Architecture” (Rotterdam: NAI Publisher, 2011), 134-143.
– L.Tozzi ed., “Half school, half fortress”, Abitare, n. 513, june 2011.
– E. Sommariva, “An urban forest for 21st-century art”, Domus, n. 938, july-august 2010.
– P. T. Lang, “The architectural anomaly of 2A+P/A”, Abitare, n. 504, july-august 2010.
– A. Betsky, E. Gandol
fi eds., Out There: Architecture Beyond Building, vol 3 (Venice: Marsilio 2008), 34-35.
– 2A+P architettura, “I Love Green”, Landscape World, n. 10, october 2007.
– 2A+P architettura, “Lugar Especí
co”, Landscape World, n. 7, july 2007.
– L. Bossi ed., “Never alone in a garden”, Domus, n. 908, october 2007.
– H. Ibelings, “Italian Architecture from the Outside In”, AD Architectural Design, n. 77-3, may-june 2007.
– L. Bossi, “Secret garden”, Domus, n. 900, february 2007.
– R. Capezzuto ed., “Round Blur”, Domus, n. 885, october 2005.
Collaborators over years
Marie Chareyron, Pauline Leclabart, Federico Zoccarato, Maria Lygouri, Emma Vernet, Mehmet Cihat Ayaz, Colin Dhondt, Ismini Linthorst, Pauline Marette, Lessi Mykolenko, Macali Stefano, Bastien Vogt, Louis B. de Saint Affrique, Chiara Nastasi, Nicol Anaïs, Mona Al-Asaad, Magdalena Jendras, Chie Kawashima, Marion Dubreuil, Merve Yldirim, Alessandro Scialdone, Kerstin Scheibenberger, Leon Steffani, David Lucot, Claudia Borroni, Anthony Aelbrecht, Vittorio Cassabgi, Caroline Lacroix, Sebastiano Palamara, Rina Rolli, Flavio Martella, Nawel Boussouri, Alessandro Scialdone, Mehdi Allani, Eleonore D’Hauterives, Gergana Yaneva, Iraqi Chaimae, Emeline Dussaucy, Gianmarco Lucarini, Sofia Nikolaidou, Matteo Novarino, Francesco Secchi, Fixos Petrou, Silvia Sanchietti, Teresa Scheibova’, Gaia Ascone, Eleonora Grezzi, Patrizio Sbarra (PL), Consuelo Nunez (PL), Alessandro Acciarino, Samuele Xompero, Carla Pace, Tiziano Schurch, Klara Buzkova, Veronica D’Ambrosio, Andrea Giorgini, Sasha Budaeva, Stephane Gaulin-Brown, Irene Biasiolo, Monica Fontana, Erik Ingvert, Rossella Natale, Elena Annulli, Gerta Heqimi, Ophelie Dozat, Paolo Calarco (PL), Patrizia Servello, Léonor Chabason, Jeanne Lefrand, Luca Menghini, Monica Monosilio, Luca Piccioni, Marta Lelli, Gabriele Acciai (PL), Joaquin Enrique Bustamante, Sofia Albrigo, Fabrizio Furiassi, Livio Di Bernardo, Emanuele Piersanti, Alessandra Farina, Silvia Groaz, Raffaella Claudia Mele, Giovanna Perdichizzi, Ludovica Eusepi, Basak Ercan, Roberta Serra, Giulia Gabellini, Francesco Pizzorusso, Luciano Aletta, Stefano Zeni, Eleonora Merico, Francesca Vargiu, Kseniya Shkroban, Paola Mastrolorenzo, Marco Strippoli, Daniele Michetti, Eliano Felicio, Katarzyna Lukasiewicz, Kajetan Wicha, Zoi Katsarou, Paola Belmonte, Leonardo Tonel, Annabel Vessaz, Lauren Abberrahim, Maxime Mangold, Antonino Crea, Domenica Fiorini, Valeria Bartolacci, Giulia Pastore, Valentina Morelli, Flaminia Liberati, Giulia Tigliè, Konrad Wolf, Marco Asciutti, Luigi Longo, Rachele Cacciani, Maria Gerardi, Marcello Cassano, Giorgia Amoruso, Daniele Capolicchio, Daniele Lazzaretti, Nicoletta Mosco, Silvia Columbo, Vittoria Stefanini, Livianna Curri, Chiara Esperti, Candela de la Macorra, Alessandra Turchiarelli, Genny Terzulli, Francesca Leonori, Adela Zugasti, Pasquale Petillo, Donatella Santone, Elia Crunier, Beatriz Arroyo.