LUX Autumn 2018

LUXLIFE MAGAZINE | 15 Autumn 2018 When asked what project was his most successful project to date, Antonio was quick to point to one of his most celebrated pieces of interior design, “the Ogilvy lobby based in New York City. It is the perfect example of how management of budget and design are truly a marriage for success. Simplicity does not necessarily mean ineffective, and precision can be as effective as complexity.” AM Studio’s approach to the project was, as Antonio phrased it, “striking simplicity”, letting the dual-coloured space speak as one, “A lobby is the first impression you get of a company. This one was embodied as a huge brand stamp that says: “This building is us; come inside and be part of our world”. Antonio continues, summing up the essence of the piece perfectly, “it’s a complex 3D signature composition; the letters break into pieces –a reminder that Ogilvy & Mather may be a big company made up of thousands of people but, at the end of the day, all of them collaborate as one.” When it comes to staying up to date with the greater design sector, and the work of his peers, Antonio emphasises the importance of having a framework for client expectations, and the ability to keep apace of popular demand. Ultimately, he is open to exploring new compositions that he hasn’t tried before, and his eager to expand on his creative repertoire, though, it is also about what is best for the project and client. Antonio’s passion for his work is contagious, his words revealing a romanticism for his trade, “architecture is the most innocent and pure act of design; the result is merely the visual record of the journey taken in order to create it”. This sheer enthusiasm, and novel approach to the field, has earned him academic positions teaching others. For two years, Antonio was a Professor of Form Analysis, member of the Academic Board and Art and Technology Coordinator in the School of Architecture at the University of Camilo José Cela in Madrid. Antonio’s love of design and architecture is well noted in his numerous client and peer testimonials, bleeding into every inch of the space he creates. This is a mind that delights in challenging conventional paradigms. “Architecture is the most innocent and pure act of design; the result is merely the visual record of the journey taken in order to create it.” As for what AM Studio has planned for the near future, Antonio emphasises his dreams of expanding his business into new sectors, “Though we do offer work in many arenas of design- we hope to expand eventually into communal space- where millworkers and graphic designers have as much access to each other as they do with painters and architects”. Antonio has a hope that the future of the sector moves towards a “more symbiotic and collaborative workspace” between client and architect; “a space where creative, critical and business minds function in one incubator.” Today, Antonio and AM Studio continue to work out of their Tribeca studio in New York city. Nicole Dana acts as Design Assistant to Antonio at the studio. Together they will continue to focus on creating unforgettable design that stands the test of time. Contact: Antonio Matres Company: AM Studio 310 Greenwich St., New York City, NY, 10013, USA Web Address: www.antoniomatres.com