Umberto Riva was born in Milan in 1928 and started his career in architecture in 1960, after studying in Milan and later in Venice under Carlo Scarpa (‘he taught me the intensity of architecture’, Riva said about discovering Scarpa’s work). He has worked on every scale, from urban spaces to buildings, from landscape architecture to interiors, from installations to product design. He was a regular collaborator of the Milan Triennale, after working with the Italian institution on several projects and installations. In 2018, he was awarded the Gold Medal for Lifetime Achievement award.