Francesco Montaguti is a London-based architect and photographer, born in Cesena in 1989.
After completing his studies at IUAV in Venice and UOW in London, he has collaborated with award-winning international architecture firms, where he has designed, overseen, and documented a diverse array of projects. With a constant focus on the positive impact that architecture has on local communities.
While traveling across the U.S. in 2015, Francesco was selected by HYLEMO to help construct and document “The Arbour” at the Burning Man Festival. This experience sparked his passion for capturing the behind-the-scenes processes and the individuals who bring creative visions to life. This interest has brought him to be commissioned to document some of the most important London urban regeneration, including now the industrial revitalisation of the renowned Printworks in Canada Water.
In 2022, his long-term project “Clapham Green” became a permanent exhibition at the new St John’s Hill community center in London. Additionally, his “Urban Theatre” and “6am” projects were developed under the mentorship of Hélène Binet and Mimi Mollica, culminating in his first solo exhibition at Stazione degli Artisti in Gambettola. That same year, Francesco also contributed to “Fracture,” a collective project on the Belice Valley post-earthquake reconstruction in Sicily, which was showcased at the 2023 Gibellina Photo Festival.
2023 saw Francesco exhibiting his work at KOOP Project Gallery in Brighton, and being selected to work under Martin Parr’s guidance on a week-long collective documentation of Palermo. This project, curated by his mentor Mimi Mollica, was subsequently published by Église.
Francesco work has been showcased in various architecture publications, including AJ, Divisare, The Plan, Dezeen, RIBA J, Evening Standard, Merrell and the Guardian. Recently, he has contributed to the ongoing collective documentation of Hackney neighborhood in London, curated by MASS Collective. Who also invited Francesco to be guest tutor in one of the session alongside Hackney-legend Chris Dorley Brown.
A strong advocate for black-and-white architecture photography, Francesco believes that the interplay of reflections, voids vs volumes, light vs shadow can reveal the deeper truths of a project’s vision. His work “Urban Theatre”, currently showcased at Gallerie del Ridotto, in his hometown Cesena, exemplifies this philosophy.
francescomontaguti@gmail.com
+447446690473