Claudio Silvestrin was born in 1954 in Zurich and trained in Milan under designer and architect Angiolo Giuseppe Fronzoni and in London at the Architectural Association. A naturalised British Italian, between 1986 and 1988, he worked with John Pawson before opening Claudio Silvestrin Architects in 1989 in London and Milan (since 2006). Claudio Silvestrin's work has an international character. It ranges from architectural projects to interiors for homes and resorts, art galleries, museums, restaurants, hotels, and luxury shops as well as furniture design. His numerous and prestigious international clients include Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, Giada, Anish Kapoor, Victoria Miro, Fondazione Sandretto Re-Rebaudengo, YTL Singapore, Illy Coffee, Princi, Rainer Becker of Zuma and Kanye West. In the field of product design, he collaborates with Dema, Boffi, Cielo, Poltrona Frau, Glass Italia, Cappellini, Minotti Cucine and Nilo.
His austere and minimalist style translates into spaces and objects characterised by elegance, essentiality and particular attention to technical, aesthetic and functional details. Silvestrin has often stated that, from an early age, he followed his artistic propensities, focusing on nature. Today, Claudio Silvestrin is recognised as one of the most important Italian minimalist architects. As early as 1999, Birkhäuser Architecture published the monograph 'Claudio Silvestrin Architects' by Franco Bertoni, who also wrote the introduction to another book, 'The non-materiality of the material' (2011, Alemandi). Also important are 'Eye Claudio' by Francesco Alberoni (2006, Viabizzuno) and 'Timeless Italian Style: Architecture, Design, Philosophy' (2017, Design Media Publishing). In 2021, the film dedicated to Silvestrin, 'Art to Art - The Becoming Of A Virtuoso,' was presented during Milan Design Week. It was the first in a series of films produced by Giada, an Italian luxury brand born in Milan, which decided to bring its philosophy to the screen through the story and voice of its artists and designers.
In 2003, he won the Artib Award, the Contract World Award and the Gold Medal for Italian Architecture at the Milan Triennale; in 2005, the International Award for Architecture in Stone, the Travel+Leisure Magazine Design Awards and the Wallpaper Magazine Design Awards. These awards were followed by the Archip - Domus (Russia) Magazine Award and the Best Communicator Award in 2008; the CNBC Asia-Pacific Property Awards in 2009; the Chicago Athenaeum International Architectural Award in 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2021; the South East Asia Property Awards in 2011; the FIANCI Prix d'Excellence Awards in 2013; the LEAF Award in 2016; the Designer Kitchen and Bathroom Awards in 2018; the 24th Mapic Awards - Best Outlet Centre and A' Design Award - Bronze Award in 2019; and the Iconic Awards in 2020 and 2021. In 2006, Silvestrin co-founded ClaudioSilvestrinGiulianaSalmaso Architects, a company dedicated to architectural competitions. In parallel to his design work, he lectures extensively as a visiting professor. In 2013 he was appointed 'Walton Critic and tutor' at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC.
