Icona Architetti Associati is an architecture and design studio founded in Milan in 2013 by the duo Federica Poggio and Marco Orto. Heir to the modern lesson of the Italian masters of the twentieth century and perfectly aware of the suggestions of the contemporary, Icona claims an immersive approach, at once rigorous and humanistic, to design. At the heart of his playbook is the idea of architecture as dialogic discourse. Icona’s projects always originate from a dialogue: human, physical, and sensory, with people and contexts. They do not impose an already given grammar on spaces, but build a new one each time, generated and refined together with clients.

Icona embraces a wide range of operational scales, from master plan to product design, thanks to a large and elastic network of collaborators. A passion for materials and knowledge of their infinite possibilities is the starting point for many projects. Materials are given a central role, tactile as well as visual: this is the idea of “Icona Touch,” a multisensory concept in which optical and haptic come together in a single experience.

Passion for materials also means curiosity for unusual combinations and solutions, but above all, a great respect for the material and for craftsmanship. The axiom of fluidity is also part of Icona’s fundamentals. The possibility of modulating space according to seasons and functions is the method used to create mobile, iridescent, and flexible ecosystems. Fluidity as something concrete: not an abstract, disembodied concept, but a tangible design poetics that, together with the ever-present curved line in the designs, symbolizes the true signature of Icona Architetti Associati.

Marco Orto - Founder
In 2008, he fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming an architect, graduating from the Politecnico di Milano. However, even earlier, starting in 2007, he collaborated with Blast Architetti on numerous residential projects and exhibition pavilions, including participation in the Kilometro Rosso project in Bergamo.
After graduating under the guidance of Stefano Boeri, he began working in 2009 with Studio Archea at its Florence office. During this period, he contributed to the projects for the Tornabuoni gallery in Florence, the Metropolitan multifunctional center in Livorno, and above all, the Antinori Winery in Bargino.

In 2010, he moved to Milan as project leader for Archea’s local office. Among the most significant projects he contributed to are, in Italy, the clinic in Cunardo (Varese) and villas on Lake Laveno (Varese); internationally, a hotel in Tianjin and the Shangri-La Winery in Penglai, both in China, as well as the Colle Loreto Residences in Lugano. In 2012, Federica Poggio joined his team, becoming both his professional and life partner. In 2013, they left Archea to found their own studio: Icona Architetti Associati.

Federica Poggio - Founder
She graduated in 2010 and earned a PhD in Architecture and Design in 2016, both at the Politecnico di Genova. In 2009, she was in China - first in Beijing and then on Hainan Island - conducting research that would later inform her thesis. She began collaborating with Studio Archea in Beijing and later in Shanghai on international-scale projects, including the UBPA B3-2 Pavilion for Expo 2010, Parkour-Beijing, and the Li Ling World Ceramic Art City in Changsha. During this time, she also spent a sabbatical period in Hong Kong studying the evolution of the former city-state. Returning to Italy in 2011, she joined Archea’s team of architects, first in Genoa and then in Milan. During this phase, she contributed to the design of the expansion of the Perfetti Van Melle factory in Lainate (known as “the candy factory”).

In 2012, while working on the Colle Loreto Residences project in Lugano, Switzerland, she collaborated with her future partner, Marco Orto. That same year, she decided to leave Archea to establish, together with Marco, Icona Architetti Associati. Also in 2013, Federica specialized at the University of Milan in the design of “Healing Gardens,” therapeutic green spaces within healthcare facilities, and obtained a teaching position at the University of Architecture and Design in Genoa. From 2016 onward, she chose to set aside her academic career to focus full-time, together with Marco, on the projects and activities of Icona.