Gianfranco Bombaci

Since 2009 Gianfranco Bombaci has been a founding partner with Matteo Costanzo of the office 2A+P/A 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.

2A+P/A investigates design, drawing from the rich and complex historical and contemporary heritage. It carries out a non-philological sampling that explores the potential of architectural work, to show different and possible paths. Design is used as an instrument of research intended to investigate reality and construct alternative destinies, narratives and subjectivities, giving form and space to knowledge exchanges and collective rituals that escape the productive compulsion of our age.

2A+P/A has 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.

2A+P/A has been awarded in a number of international competition and invited to present their work and realised site-specific installations for several international exhibitions, such as the 1st Biennale of Orleans, 14th, 12th and 11th Biennale of Venice, 5th Biennale of Brasilia, and by renowned institutions, such as the Architectural Association in London, FRAC Centre in Orleans, CIVA Bruxelles, NAI in Rotterdam and MAXXI in Rome.

The office’s work was also showcased in several solo exhibitions, such as the traveling exhibition Savage Architecture in London, Florence, Milan, Bruxelles, Rome, Berlin; the exhibitions Planetary Rites and The Pop Out Show both in Rome and 36 Drawings in Orléans.

Gianfranco Bombaci has been founder and editor of San Rocco magazine since 2010. In 2015 he founded the gallery Campo with Matteo Costanzo, Davide Sacconi and Luca Galofaro, a space to debate, study and celebrate architecture in Rome. Since 2010 Gianfranco Bombaci has coordinated the Interior Design BA Course at IED Rome.

Selected Books, Journal and Articles

Bombaci G., Costanzo M. (2016). ‘The alchemical beauty of the banal’. In: San Rocco - Pure Beauty, issue 13.

Bombaci G., Costanzo M. (2016).  ‘The twelve ideal cities. Interview to Gian Piero Frassinelli’. In: The supreme achievement. London/Milan: Black Square Press.

Bombaci G. (2016). ‘Lo spazio interno e la sfera pubblica. Il design d’interni è oggi il vero protagonista dell'organizzazione dell’habitat urbano’. In: il Tascabile, September

Bombaci G., Costanzo M., Sacconi D. (2016).  ‘Performa’. In: Feireiss L. ed. Planet B. Ideas for a new world, Koln: Erschienen im Verlag der Buchhandlung

Bombaci G., Costanzo M., Sacconi D.  ‘Performa’. In: Ghidoni M. ed. Fundamental Acts. Milan: A+M Bookstore

Bombaci G., Costanzo M. ‘Life of a black triangle’. In: Sacconi D. ed. Savage Architecture, B London/Milan: Black Square.

Bombaci G., Costanzo M. (2015). ‘Notes on the interior space’. In: Sanin F., Sacconi D. Interior Tales, London/Milan: Black Square Press

Bombaci G., Costanzo M. (2014). 'Sottsass’s grey forniture’. In: San Rocco - Monk and Monkeys, issue 9

Bombaci G., Costanzo M. (2013). ‘La coscienza di Zeno’. In: San Rocco - What's wrong with the primitive hut?, issue 8

Bombaci G., Costanzo M.  (2013). ‘Let's Call It Memphis’. In San Rocco - Collaborations, issue 6

Bombaci G., Costanzo M.  (2013). ‘Una Casa da un disegno di Ettore Sottsass’. In: Domus, issue 968, October.

Bombaci G. (2013). ‘Strategie passive per il contenimento energetico’. In: Palumbo M. ed. Architettura Produttiva, Rome: Maggioli

Bombaci G., Costanzo M. (2011).  ‘A mistakes of principles. In: San Rocco – Mistakes. issue 3

Bombaci G., Costanzo M. (2011).  ‘The natural field. Interview to Andrea Branzi’. In: San Rocco - The even covering of the field, issue 2

Bombaci G., Costanzo M.  (2011).  ‘The island of the man with the golden gun’. In: San Rocco - Islands, issue 1,

Bombaci G. (2011). ‘What ever happened to Italian architecture?’. In: Domusweb, January

Selected Bibliography on 2A+P/A

Galofaro L., Molinari L. , Lang P.T. (2013). Alternative destinies. Seoul: DAMDI Architecture Publishing Co

Labasse A. (2012). ‘2A+P/A. Narrative Grammar’. In: L’Architecture d’Aujourd’hui, issue 391, September 

Glancey J. (2011). ‘Desert flower’. In: The Architectural Review, issue 1376, September (magazine article)

Feireiss L. (2011). Testify! The Consequences of Architecture. Rotterdam: NAI Publisher, p.134-143.

Tozzi L. (2011). ‘Half school, half fortress’. In: Abitare, issue 513, June 

Sommariva E. (2010). ‘An urban forest for 21st-century art’. In: Domus, issue 938, July-August 

Lang P. T., (2010). ‘The architectural anomaly of 2A+P/A’. In: Abitare, issue 504, July-August 

Betsky A., Gandolfi E.  (2008). Out There: Architecture Beyond Building, vol 3. Venice: Marsilio, p.34-35.

Selected Exhibitions

(2017)

36 Drawings, Biennale d’Architecture d’Orléans.

Present tense, Syracuse University in Florence.

Savage Architecture, Gian Piero Frassinelli, Superstudio and 2A+P/A, Politecnico di Milano.

Invisible Architecture, Museo Carlo Bilotti, Rome.

(2016)

Savage Architecture, Gian Piero Frassinelli, Superstudio and 2A+P/A, Kent State University, Florence.

Savage Architecture, Gian Piero Frassinelli, Superstudio and 2A+P/A, Architectural Association, London.

(2015)

Call to order exhibition, Korach Gallery, Perez Architecture Center, Coral Gables, Miami.

(2014)

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.

(2012)

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.

(2011)

Testify! The Consequences of Architecture, curated by L. Feireiss, NAI, Rotterdam.

(2010)

The pop out show, curated by P.T. Lang and P. Ferri, Hyunnart Studio, Rome.

Architecture&Design Film Festival, curated by K. Bergman and L. Cardello, Tribeca Cinemas, New York.

Architecture & meubles d’architectes, Pierre Bergé associés, Drouot Richelieu, Paris.

27/37, curated by OICE, Italian Pavilion at the Expo in Shanghai.

(2009)

Vision. 9° Festival of Architecture and Media, curade by iMage, Stazione Leopolda, Florence.

(2008)

Out There: Architecture Beyond Building, curated by A. Betsky with E. Gandolfi, 11. Venice Biennale.

Transmitting Architecture, XXIII UIA world congress, Lingotto, Turin.

(2015) Third prize, Asia Architecture Award.
(2014) Finalist, Aga Khan Award.
(2012) Finalist, “Medaglia d’Oro dell’Architettura Italiana”, La Triennale,  Milan.
(2012) Honourable Mention, “Zumtobel Awards”, Aedes Architekturforum, Berlin.
(2011) Prix Specialé Hiver, Ecole Speciale d’Architecture, Paris.