Giulia Foscari Widmann Rezzonico is an architect, researcher and writer who has been practising in Europe, Asia and the Americas. She is the founder of UNA, an architecture studio focussed on cultural projects, and of its alter ego UNLESS, a non-profit agency for change devoted to interdisciplinary research on extreme environments threatened by the planetary crisis. Foscari’s past work experience includes an extensive collaboration with Rem Koolhaas/OMA which started in Hong Kong and led her to run OMA’s South American platform, and with Zaha Hadid Architects. She is partner of the architecture office FWR Associati, and member of the International Council of the MoMA. Her work was exhibited in multiple editions of the International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. Foscari taught at Hong Kong University and at the Architectural Association, where she ran a Diploma Unit and founded The Polar Lab. She authored Elements of Venice and is the editor of Antarctic Resolution (Lars Müller Publishers).

UNLESS is a non-profit agency for change that brings together interdisciplinary experts to conduct research on extreme environments threatened by the planetary crisis. Founded by Giulia Foscari, UNLESS’ collaborative practice engages specialists from the fields of architecture, biology, chemistry, climate science, engineering, geography, history, law, literature, logistics, medicine, physics, political science, sociology, technology, and the visual arts. UNLESS’ pilot project, Antarctic Resolution, led to the foundation of The Polar Lab, the agency’s transnational academic platform co-directed by Francesco Bandarin, Sol Camacho, Juan Du, Giulia Foscari, Arturo Lyon, and Florencia Rodriguez. Based in Hamburg and Venice, UNLESS operates alongside its alter ego, UNA.

Image credits: Courtesy of the artist