AUGUSTO MAZZINI - nota biografica

Born in Siena on 7th February 1939.

Chairman of the Town Planning department (the first one in the modern history of the town) of the Municipality of Siena in 1965/66 and 1969/70. While carrying out this mandate, the main portion of the old town centre was pedestrianised (1965, the first town in Europe); Alvar Aalto was trusted with designing the town cultural centre hosted inside the Fortezza Medicea; the first InterMunicipal Plan of the Siena Area was laid out.
He has served on the National Committee of Town Planning since 1973.
At present partner of Studio CM2 (former Mazzini Associati) together with Luca Capacci and Paolo Mazzini, head offices in Siena, via Montanini, 118.

He has been correspondent and collaborator to the review “Spazio & Società”, established and run by Giancarlo De Carlo. Many of his projects have been published in several Italian and foreign magazines. Amongst the publications that have devoted attention to his work: Allestimenti museali, by P. C. Pellegrini, Federico Motta Editore, Milan, 2003; A. Restucci, L’Architettura civile in Toscana. Dall’Illuminismo al novecento, Pizzi, Milan, 2002; Architetture del Novecento. La Toscana, by E. Godoli, Edizioni Polistampa, Florence, 2001; 100 Italian Architects and their works, China Architecture & Building Press, Bejing, 2001; Nuovo Allestimento Italiano, by Mario Mastropietro, Edizioni Lybra Immagine, Milan, 1997; A. Acocella, L’architettura dei luoghi, Roma, 1992; Almanacco Electa dell’Architettura Italiana 1991, Milan, 1992; G. Muratore, Guida all’architettura moderna – Italia – gli ultimi trenta anni, Bologna, 1989.

His work has also been reviewed by Peter Smithson, Carlo Melograni, Amerigo Restucci, Alfonso Acocella, Carlo Nepi, Vincenzo Riso, Glauco Gresleri, Adolfo Natalini, P. G. Raman, Roberto Maestro, Pino Scaglione. Author of numberless texts and articles, the most recent: Insediamenti e territorio (in collaboration with Paolo Mazzini) published in Terra dei Musei, Giunti Editore, Florence 2006.

His project for the Banca Monte dei Paschi Executive Centre, has been awarded the 1st prize (equal first with R. Piano) MARBLE ARCHITECTURAL AWARD ITALY 2000. The same project has also won him the 1st prize of the ALCOA Architettura 2001 Award. Has taught Social Town Planning at the Siena University and Town Planning at the Faculty of Architecture of Florence; Professor of Town Planning Design and, later on, of Architecture Design at the Faculty of Architecture of Ferrara between 1996 and 2004. He lectures at different Italian Universities. Between 1979 and 1986 has been lecturer at the ILAUD courses, the International Laboratory of Architecture and Urban design, headed by Giancarlo De Carlo.

Has attended conferences and panels and delivered speeches on occasion of conferences such as: “L’étude du patrimoine paysager et sa mise en valeur”, on occasion of “Musée – musées”, Louvre Auditorium, Paris (2002); “Produzione di paesaggio a mezzo di paesaggio”, Town Administration of Siena/Siena University (2001); “Geometrie ideali e imperfette” on occasion of the fifth centenary of the death of Francesco di Giorgio, Siena (2001); “Architettura e contesto”, special guest Peter Smithson, Siena (1999); debate with Bernardo Secchi on “Il rapporto tra piano e progetto nell’esperienza di quattro città italiane. Siena”, Vicenza (1992).

Has been team head to several competitions, both awarded and not. Amongst the most recent: New headquarters of the Pisa Province, come second, 2003 (published in “Architetture Pisane”, pg. 26/31); Multi-storey garage for cars and buses in the ex Sita area of Siena, come second, 2004; International Ideas Competition for the Seafront of Latina, 2005, come second.

Has worked in graphic design with posters also published in Graphis Annual and Graphis Posters, and in “EPOCA”, catalogue of the travelling show of posters in Italy spanning the past century and the new millennium, pg. 102/103 and pg. 283 in the book by A. C. Quintavalle “Manifesti, pittura, politica”, 1999.

The Town Library of Intronati of Siena has purchased some of his posters, travelling and studying notes (2005). Member of the Accademia degli Intronati which has had its seat in Siena since 1597. Partner of IDEA, Italian Association of Exhibition Designers.