Paola Viganò

Paola Viganò architect and urbanist, is Professor in Urban Theory and Urban Design at the EPFL (Lausanne) and at IUAV Venice.
In 1990 PV founded together with Bernardo Secchi Studio that has won numerous international competitions. Among the projects realized: the new Theatre Square and Spoornoord Park in Antwerp, both prized as best public spaces in Flanders, along with the construction of the City Structural Plan (external consultants); a system of public spaces in Mechelen, finalist of the European Prize of public spaces, the cemetery and the Grote Markt in Kortrijk. The Courrouze district in Rennes (where Studio coordinates, since 2003, the implementation of the masterplan for 4500 new dwellings, the design and execution of public spaces) is currently under completion and has won the Prix « Nature en ville » du palmarès Ecoquartier 2011 du Ministère de l'Ecologie.
Studio has worked on constructing visions for some important metropolitan areas: Le Grand Paris, métropole de l’après Kyoto; Brussels 2040; Lille 2030 and Montpellier 2040. In 2012 Studio was chosen to propose a vision on New Moscow.

Since 2015 StudioPaolaViganò has been working on urban and landscape projects in Europe and has won the competition for the masterplan for the neighbourhood City of Science, in Rome and for the definitive design of its public works and is currently working on a new public park in Dessel Nuclear Research center, on the Blue Park of the Eurometropolis Lille-Tournai-Courtrai, between France and Belgium), on the South-East segment of the Over De Ring project in Antwerp and on several urban projects in France and Belgium.
Since 2009 till 2017 Paola Viganò has been part of the Scientific Committee of the Atelier International du Grand Paris.

In 2018 she is finalist of the Jellicoe Prize.
In 2017 she receives the Ultima Architectuur Prize (the two-yearly Flemish Culture Award for Architecture) and the Golden Lions of the Lions Club Sondrio Host.
In 2017 she has been appointed Thomas Jefferson Visiting Professor at the University of Virginia.
In 2016 she received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Belgium in the frame of Utopia for our time.
In 2015 she won the international competition for designing the neighbourhood City of Science, Rome (Quartiere Flaminio).
In 2015 she received the Batibouw International Award in Belgium.
In 2013 she won the Grand Prix de l’Urbanisme et de l’Art Urbain in France, after being finalist in the same award in 2010. The award, of international standing, was attributed with the following motivations: «C’est la première fois qu’une femme reçoit cette récompense. Le jury du Grand Prix a souhaité saluer la dimension internationale de Paola Vigano, dans ses projets, son enseignement, ses recherches et ses écrits. Ses travaux offrent un horizon à la ville peu dense, diffuse, en s’appuyant sur les grandes questions du développement durable.»
In 2013 she held the Chaire Francqui at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL).
In 2012 and in 2013 she was visiting professor at the Graduate School of Design, Harvard.
Since 2012 she has been member of the Scientific Committee of the École Nationale Supérieure du Paysage, Versailles.
In 2010 she was guest professor at the Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL).
In 2009 she was visiting professor at the Aarhus School of Architecture - Department of Landscape and Urbanism (Denmark).
In 2008 she was associate researcher at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA), Montreal.
From 2006 to 2008 she was expert member for the Ministère de la Culture Français
for the Grande Echelle research programme and since then member of the International Forum on Urbanism (IFOU).
In 2005 she was founder member and member of the Executive and the Educational Board of the European Postgraduate Master in Urbanism (EMU) that centres on urban, territorial and landscape design. EMU comprises the IUAV University Venice, TU Delft, UPC Barcelona and KU Leuven.
From 2005 to 2009 she was guest professor at the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Department of Architecture and Urbanism, where she headed urban design studios.
In 2003-2004 she was guest professor at the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) where she headed a design studio.
In 2000 she was guest professor at the Catholic University of Leuven (KU Leuven, Department of Architecture and Urbanism).
Since 1999 she has been a member of the faculty of the doctorate in Urbanism, IUAV Venice and since 2011 she has been coordinator of the same doctorate course.
From 1998 to 2000 she was associate professor of Urbanism at the Faculty of Architecture of the Polytechnic of Bari and from 2001 to 2010 at IUAV Venice.
In 1998 she headed the winning team for the international competition for the recovery of the Falck areas in Sesto San Giovanni, Milan, Italy.
In 1994 she obtained the title of PhD in Architectural Composition at IUAV Venice.
From 1990 to 1996 she was assistant professor on the course of Urbanism of Bernardo Secchi at IUAV Venice.
From 1990 to 1993 she attended the 6th cycle of the PhD in Architectural Composition at IUAV Venice and prepared a thesis entitled "Urban Materials" (supervisor Gianugo Polesello, co-supervisor Bernardo Secchi).
In 1987 she graduated in architecture with full honours at the Faculty of Architecture in Florence with a thesis in Architectural Composition (An Urban Project in Bormio).
She is regularly invited to lecture and as key-note speaker internationally.