Born in Venice , he deepened his understanding of architecture and refined his skills while he was an apprentice for a long time under the master of craftsmen. At the age of 17, he started designing at the office of architect Vincenzo Rinaldo. His architecture is based on a sensitive imagination of materials, and delicately expresses the transition of time such as seasons and history. It is widely praised by architects such as Tadao Ando and Mario Botta.

In 1978, when he was the president of the University of Architecture of Venice (IUAV), he died when he stepped off the stairs while staying in Sendai. It is said that he may have committed suicide because his brain tumor was in the terminal stage. Known for being a lover of Japanese architecture. Much of his career is dominated by the composition of exhibition venues and the renovation of existing buildings.