VIKTOR UDZENIJA

Croatian architect and interior designer Viktor Udzenija founded his eponymous studio in Dubai, UAE, expanding to Prague in 2020. In his global portfolio of projects: from London to Dubai, Prague to Ibiza, Udzenija takes an artisanal, highly bespoke approach to high-end residential, retail and commercial design. Having gained his architecture degree at the prestigious Technical University of Munich in Germany and shaping his career early on at Foster+Partners in London, his methodology is rooted in his understanding of space. Proportion, functionality and sustainability guide all his projects, whether in the built environment or interior design. An understanding of matter follows, especially in his use of marble and other natural materials, which is then supplemented by his devotion to craft and highly specialised artisans. All these elements combine in dialogue with contemporary artwork and collectible design pieces to forge high-level, future-focussed, sustainable projects. The architect’s interest in functionality and materiality has also spurned a series of limited edition furniture and light installations that complement his projects, most notably ‘The Little Rocker’ rocking horse that debuted with Carpenters Workshop Gallery. First released in 2015, the piece has been created in both white Carrara and Nero Marquina marble editions. In November 2020, Udzenija was invited to curate the Inaugural Design Section of the Modern & Contemporary Middle Eastern Art Auction for international auction house Christie’s in London. Since establishing the studio, Udzenija has won a series of international architectural design competitions and awards including Sustainability Initiative of the Year and Residential Project of the Year in the Middle East. He has been recognised by Architectural Digest in its Top 50 Interior Designers of the Middle East list and by Middle East Architect magazine as a Top Architect for several consecutive years.