Studio Ossidiana is a practice that works at the crossroads of architecture, design and art led by Alessandra Covini.
It explores narratives that often come outside the realm of architecture, through material investigations, translating theoretical conceptions into unique spaces, buildings and objects.
The name is inspired by the stone ‘Ossidiana’ - Obsidian stone, that embodies both material and cultural conceptions: it is the result of a fast solidification of fluid lava into a volcanic glass stone which has been shaped into primordial tools, representing the first cultural object of mankind.
Within this framework of thoughts was developed ‘Petrified Carpets’, a research and material project that translates elements found in Persian Carpets and gardens into tactile concrete forms.
Recent projects include the concept and spatial design of ‘OnsBank’ in Amsterdam (Alessandra Covini, Francesco Apostoli); an investigative work on the domestic landscape at Jan Van Eyck Academy in Maastricht; the design of the interior, furniture, and facade for ‘Op Het Dak’ in Rotterdam (Alessandra Covini, Tomas Dirrix); the interiors for a toy shop in Milan, and other private commissions. Studio Ossidiana collaborates with international galleries for the production of unique crafted objects.
Alessandra Covini was invited as a tutor and coordinator assistant at RCR Architecture and Landscape Workshop in Olot, Spain in summer 2015, 2016.
She was awarded with several grants as Talent grant (Creative Industries Fund NL 2015, 2016), Architecture grant (Creative Industries Fund NL 2016), Italian Talent ( Young Italian Artist, 2016) and several prizes in international competitions (Unesco, Uia, Hysplait, Agorà design, Fondazione Giorgio Cini).
Studio Ossidiana is based in Rotterdam and Milan. It was founded in 2015 and has an open and horizontal structure, it collaborates with Tomas Dirrix (co-founder), Francesco Apostoli, Manfredi Villarosa, Delfino Sisto Legnani.
Exhibitions
The Materiality of the Invisible - Marres House for Contemporary Culture, 30 August - 26 November 2017, Maastricht
Petrified Carpets - Siam Courtyard in 5VIE, Milan Design Week 2017 curated by Federica Sala, supported by the Embassy and Consulate General of the Netherlands in Milan
Capitalism Is Over - Cascina Cuccagna, Milan Design Week 2017
Earthly Bed - Open Studios 2017, Jan Van Eyck Academie, Maastricht
In No Particular Order - Veem Building, Dutch Design Week 2016, Eindhoven
Prayer Rug Platform. Body/Space - Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam
Selected Awards and Recognitions
Talent Development Grant - Stimulerings Fonds 2015, 2016
Architecture Grant - Stimulerings Fonds 2016
Young Italian Artist Grant - Moving up, 2016
First Prize - Facades for Social Housing Kruidenbuurt, TRUDO. Team: Francesco Apostoli, Alessandra Covini, Tomas Dirrix, Manfredi Villarosa
First Prize - Malmo Oriental Cemetery Pavilion - VIII Concurso del Aula Ceramica Hispalyt. Team: Alessandra Covini, Aida Navarro Redon
First Prize - Hermitage Pavilion, Sandcastle - Stichting Kunsteiland. Team: Alessandra Covini, Tomas Dirrix, Sereh Mendias
Second Prize - UNESCO competition for the Bamiyan Cultural Centre in Afghanistan Project selected among 1,070 entries. Team: Alessandra Covini, Graham Baldwin
Third Prize - Winkesltrips tot Wijkgedacht. Team: DiederenDirrix, Alessandra Covini, Tomas Dirrix
Third Prize - Garden Table - Agora Design. Team: Alessandra Covini, Giovanni Bellotti
Talks and Lectures
'The Bed in the Age of Social Media' - with Beatrix Colomina, Berlage Instituut, Delft
'Petrified Carpets' - Dutch Design Week 2016
'Gardens and Landscape pavilions', RCR Landscape Workshop 2015
Writing
A. Covini, 'Prayer rug: the intersection between the carpet and architecture, Platform.Body/Space'. Het Nieuwe Instituut online magazine, January 2017
Selected Publications and Press
ArtTribune, ‘Dai Tappeti all’ architettura: Intervista a Studio Ossidiana’, by Bianca Felicori, June 2017
Elle Decor, June and February 2017
Ideat, Julie-August 2017
Interni, ’Brutalist Playground’, May 2017
Icon Design, April 2017
Repubblica, April 2017
Corriere della Sera, April 2017
MilkDecoration France, June 2017
OssoMagazine, April 2017
ArchitectuurNL, February 2017
DeArchitect Buisiness, ‘Studio Ossidiana interview’ by Sereh Mendias, February 2017
Domus, ‘Of Persian Carpets’, October 2016
Dezeen, October 2016
Archdaily, November 2016
SightUnseen, November 2016
Forum 09, 'Building Upon Building', by Jantje Engels, Marius Grootveld - June 2016
Nai010 Publishers, 'Building Upon Building', by Jantje Engels, Marius Grootveld - 2016
The Architectural Review, ‘Pedagogy: TuDelft, The Netherlands’, by Matthew Barac and Andrew Daws, October 2012
