Architecture In Fluidity

Always in transformation, like much of his work, American designer Marc Thorpe looks at architecture as a medium to build relationships

- Tina Thakrar

Architect and industrial designer Marc Thorpe grew up in America in the 80s and 90s. The circumstances than have had a big role to play in who he is now – a designer who focuses heavily on the process of design, integrates technology into his work, appreciates fruitful collaborations with other creative minds, and takes a holistic approach to design that encapsulates everything from products and spaces to graphics and brand building.

Now armed with degrees from the University of Maryland and Parsons School of Design, Thorpe grew up in an art-driven household in New York, a hotbed for creative diversity. His father was a graphic designer and an artist, and his mother, a painter from the Venini family in Italy. It was also a time when technology was beginning to creep into businesses and industries, and design certainly wasn’t left out. Thorpe combined his passion for design, his fascination with the history and culture of Italy, and his opportunities in New York, to set up Marc Thorpe Design in 2010.

The studio brings architecture, design, and technology together in interesting ways, to forge relationships rooted in innovation and the design process. He’s worked with brands like Cappellini, Mercedes Benz, Moroso, Estee Lauder, and of course, Venini, and his projects can be found in Asia and Europe, besides the US.

Excerpts from our chat:

What motivated you to set out on your own and set up Marc Thorpe Design, instead of working with design firms?