Thanks to our smartphones and apps such as Instagram, we have all become amateur photographers. With a quick tap of our phones, we would have snapped a photo. Those more adventurous and armed with a more creative eye may opt for a real camera - but the fact remains that the fundamental way we're exposed to photography is highly influenced by modern sharing technology.
Unlike the days of film photography, technology has enhanced the way we experience photography and ultimately enjoy the end product. Gone are the days when a dark room was required to bring photographs from film to life - with the click of a button we can instantly print and project our photographs to share them with our friends and family.
To celebrate the new technology and embrace our fondness of capturing infinite moments - whether on our smartphones or on a professional camera - STYLE has commissioned designer Francesco Sacconi to create the ultimate fantasy photography studio every amateur photographer would dream to have.
With a passion in photography that stemmed from a young age, Sacconi is himself somewhat of a photographer and truly appreciates what one might look for in what he dubs the "photography studio for the 21st century".
"I want to create a mecca [for] photography," says the designer, who sought to design "a modern reinterpretation of [the] photography production process".
He does so in a manner that puts his signature spin on the space.
The designer says: "Luxury for me is a lifestyle. Luxury is the [ability] to understand the possibilities that are available." With this philosophy in mind, Sacconi is always asking himself "what is next" and uses that to push boundaries and to drive his designs.
The home photography studio is no exception. The designer makes use of the concept of fluid furniture - such that everything can be adaptable and can be shifted and readjusted to suit the user's daily needs.
Sacconi has a background in Parametric Design and uses his expertise in a process that is based on algorithmic thinking and provides a tool for designers to use more complex free form shapes in their designs - as reflected in this mainly spherical design concept.
Rather than create concrete areas for each part of the photography studio, Sacconi innovatively uses his expertise in parametric designs to create adaptable and highly-flexible "sections" to form the modern home photography studio.
"We are not talking about rooms any more," the designer says. "What we have here are spaces which can be tuned [and] adapted to new shapes."
The best word to describe the design is "fluidity". Each section is what the designer describes as a "cocoon", created using Parametric Design tools. The results are five intertwined spaces that diffuse within each other. Each section flows seamlessly from one to the other, but yet still maintains its own distinctive section when so desired by the user.
One of the key sections in the space is the photograph gallery. Like any other art form, part of the beauty of the art is sharing.
Alongside physically printed photos that can be hung up or placed around the space, and taking into consideration the technological advances in our lives, Sacconi incorporates a system that allows photographs to be projected "in real-time on one of the membranes" which ultimately creates a highly dynamic experience for both the photographer and the viewers.
Tucked inside another cocoon lies the photographer's den - the section where the magic happens and photographs are being taken.
There is also a bar and kitchen area, and a relaxation area for both the photographer and loved ones to kick back and relax in between shots while admiring the work. Taking inspiration from his heritage, Sacconi chooses only to incorporate furnishings from luxurious Italian brands and the use of fine Italian leather.
"I want the [user] to feel that he is living la dolce vita," he says. "This is the new luxury."
Francesco Sacconi is an Italian designer based in Hong Kong. An associate at Woods Bagot, Sacconi is a Parametric and Rhino Form-Finding Design Specialist. A forward-thinking designer, Sacconi uses his global vision and specialist knowledge to break boundaries in architectural design. His portfolio spans Europe and Asia, including the award-winning ballroom at the InterContinental Hong Kong, which was the first project to be crafted with a form-finding design approach in order to create, control and prefabricate complex and innovative forms. Sacconi was also awarded the Renzo Piano Prize in 1999, dedicated to young talents in Italian Contemporary Architecture Milan IT under 35.
