Prima Materia Architecture

Prima Materia, meaning "first matter" in Latin, is a concept in alchemy and philosophical traditions that refers to the fundamental, original substance from which all things are believed to be derived. Applied to architecture, it simply symbolizes the utter substance of space that our studio’s holistic approach aims to reveal. We are a multi-disciplinary design studio based in Paris and Istanbul. As our expertise spans from architecture to product design, we like to tackle every project as a global design experience. Our work is thus focusing on creating actual places rather than designing abstract spaces, putting a strong focus on private clients’ and customers’ experience. Our office was created as a bridge between two countries, two cultures: we naturally understand the importance of opening up and inventing new, virtuous ways for people to inhabit the earth together. In the studio, ideas and aesthetics are permanently questioned, reinvented. Above all, we believe that the future of design is about anticipating the challenges our world is facing globally, but also creating positive and desirable narratives about what’s coming next. Sustainability is for us more than a marketing concept bound by a restricted range of materials and resources: it really is an exciting possibility to elope and an opportunity to start inventing new ways. We prefer our designs, living spaces or custom-made retail elements, to convey a sense of ‘quiet ingenuity’ that’s able to meet the environmental and human stakes of today’s world.