Mario Botta

Born in Mendrisio, Ticino, on April 1, 1943. After an apprenticeship with the architectural firm of Carloni and Camenisch in Lugano, he first attends the Art College in Milan and then studies at the University Institute of Architecture in Venice. Directed by Carlo Scarpa and Giuseppe Mazzariol he receives his professional degree in 1969. During his time in Venice, he has the opportunity to meet and work for Le Corbusier and Louis I. Kahn.
His professional activity begins in 1970 in Lugano. He builds his first single-family houses in Canton Ticino and subsequently many other projects all over the world. He has always committed himself in intense architectural research and since 1996 he is involved as creator and founder of the new academy of architecture in Ticino.
His work has achieved international renowned and important awards (Merit Award for Excellence in Design by the AIA for the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco; the IAA Annual Prix 2005, International Academy of Architecture, Sofia Bulgaria for the Kyobo Tower; the International Architecture Award, the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and the “European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage Europa Nostra”, The Hague for the restructuring of the Theatre alla Scala in Milan) and has been presented in many exhibitions.