M2Atalier unveils Mario Botta residence

Milan-based architecture and design studio m2atelier officially unveiled the interior design of a private, design-forward residence housed inside one of Mario Botta’s iconic buildings in the Lecco town of Merate. Working hand-in-hand with discerning clients, m2atelier crafted a multi-level home that responds to Botta’s monumental architecture with softness, spatial elegance, and sculptural restraint—an interplay of legacy and lifestyle, precision and poetry.

Known for its rigorously personal, detail-driven approach, m2atelier is led by architects Marco Bonelli and Marijana Radovic—partners in both work and life. From their studio in a converted industrial factory in Milan’s Via Francesco Londonio, the duo directs a 50-person team on projects spanning Europe, the U.S., and Asia, bridging disciplines from yachting and fashion to private residences, retail, and collectible furniture. Their practice is defined by atmosphere, proportion, and an uncommon sensitivity to materials.

For the Merate residence, the brief was more instinctive than prescriptive. “This wasn’t about concepting around trends or aesthetics,” said Radovic. “It was about designing a home that aligned with our clients’ rhythm of life, while simultaneously speaking the language of Botta’s façade. Inside and out, we wanted a coherent voice.”
Set across four levels, the residence unfolds as a fluid choreography of rooms—each layered with custom furniture, curated objects, and immersive texture. On the ground floor, m2atelier transformed a modest kitchen footprint into a luminous, glass-wrapped dining veranda. The living room is composed around low-slung, tactile furnishings by Baxter, Minotti, and Molteni, framed by windows that mirror the home’s architectural grid. Outdoors, a sculptural sunken hot tub and platform landscape define the rear garden, offering both quietude and theatricality.
Below, the basement level is a sanctuary of wellness and indulgence: a cantina for wine and cured meats, a Technogym-equipped fitness room, a sauna by EFFE customized to m2atelier’s specifications, and a concealed laundry bathed in natural light via concrete wells. “There’s a certain cinematic aesthetic to the lower level,” said Bonelli. “You move between weight and lightness, concrete and velvet, reflection and ritual.

Custom-built furniture designed by m2atelier is integrated throughout: beds, wardrobes, sliding metal mesh partitions, wine storage, vanities, kitchen systems, bathroom fixtures, and libraries—each piece tailored in material, proportion, and use. “Our goal is always to create pieces beyond being simply decorative, but quietly essential,” says Radovic.  In Merate, however, the studio's mastery is more intimate—etched into staircases of black marble, mirrored hallways that suggest infinite space, and custom millwork that transforms utility into design language. As Bonelli concludes, “We don’t chase spectacle. We seek resonance. And in this home, every element—every shadow, every seam—exists to support a life well lived.”

While the residence is not framed as a sustainability showcase, energy-efficient appliances, natural ventilation, and electrical climate systems were embedded throughout the planning. This Merate project adds to m2atelier’s growing portfolio of residential architecture shaped through narrative and nuance. The studio is known for collaborations with clients such as Dolce & Gabbana, The Core Club New York, Ferragamo, Feadship, and Giorgetti—the latter having developed the studio’s sculptural Tie Chair and Ensō Table, as well as Conrad Shipyard.

For more information, visit m2atelier.com.

About m2atelier
m2atelier is an international, multidisciplinary architecture and design studio based in Milan. Founded by architects Marco Bonelli and Marijana Radovic, partners in both work and life, the studio draws on their complementary backgrounds spanning fashion, yachting, residential, hospitality, commercial, and furniture design. From their headquarters at Via Francesco Londonio 29, a former industrial cookware factory reimagined as the m2atelier headquarters, Bonelli and Radovic lead a growing team of 50 architects and designers working on projects across Europe, the United States, Asia, and beyond.

Known for its meticulous approach to proportion, materiality, and detail, m2atelier operates across scales and sectors, from flagship retail and private residences to bespoke furniture and yacht interiors. The studio’s design ethos champions the principles of less is enough, details matter, and sustainable minimalism, producing work that fuses timeless elegance with a contemporary global sensibility. m2atelier has built long-standing collaborations with leaders in fashion and lifestyle including Dolce & Gabbana, The Core Club New York, Corneliani, Salvatore Ferragamo, and renowned shipyards such as Feadship, Azimut-Benetti, and Codecasa. Their partnership with Italian furniture house Giorgetti has resulted in a highly regarded line of sculptural, couture-inspired pieces such as the Tie Chair, Elsa Armchair, and Ensō Table, crafted with Giorgetti’s signature artisanal precision.

In the world of yachting, m2atelier is recognized as an award-winning studio, celebrated for its ability to translate architectural clarity into emotionally resonant environments at sea.

Marco Bonelli, born in Genoa in 1971, earned his Master’s degree from Columbia University in New York. After formative professional experiences in Paris, Barcelona, and New York, he founded BAMdesign in 2000 with offices in Milan and New York. He has designed projects and developed spatial concepts for numerous leading fashion labels, shaping a distinctive creative voice at the intersection of fashion and architecture.

Marijana Radovic, born in Serbia in 1979, received her Master’s in Yacht Design from Politecnico di Milano and launched her early career in Rome, Geneva, and Athens. In 2006, she founded STANDBY Studio, initially based in Belgrade and Athens, later relocating to Milan. She continues to lead projects across residential, superyacht, and private aviation sectors, developing a design language grounded in flow, restraint, and spatial storytelling.

With a shared design philosophy rooted in fusion, craft, and atmosphere, Bonelli and Radovic shape spaces and objects that are globally informed yet intimately personal, delivering environments that balance precision with emotion and vision with timelessness.