Carmelo Zappulla, Italian architect with a PhD with honours from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, is the founder and director of External Reference, an international studio based in Barcelona dedicated to transforming spaces into emotional experiences through a multidisciplinary approach.
At his helm, the studio has stood out for its innovative ‘cradle-to-cradle’ approach to design, its research linked to new technologies and materials, as well as the exploration of complex morphologies, new formal repertoires, and constructive solutions in the field of digital fabrication; which has been applied in academia and in numerous and diverse innovative projects over more than 15 years of the firm’s activity. His works have been exhibited at the Biennale di Venezia, MAXXI Museum, Expo Dubai 2020, Dubai Design Week, Madrid Design Festival, and Milano Design Week, among others.
Notable projects include the new seafront of Nova Bocana on Barcelona’s beach; the exhibition route of the Spain Pavilion at Expo Dubai 2020; the phygital marketplace WOW in Madrid, iconic stores and corners Presentedby, Pinko Store at Fiumicino Airport; gastronomic spaces like Alkimia, Casa Moritz, The Penthouse by WOW, CAAA by Pietro Catalano, Plaza Mahou at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium; trendsetting brand physical conceptual spaces such as VICIO and La Manso; as well as one of its recent research and design projects with innovative and sustainable initiative: the Pure Plants, a family of 3D printed purifying sculptures, winner of the international Ro Plastic Prize.
In the academic sphere, Zappulla regularly collaborates with international architecture schools and institutions. He is currently the director of the Master’s in Experiential Interior Design at LCI Barcelona and a professor at IAAC (Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia), where he has been a faculty member for over ten years. Additionally, he previously served as the director of the Master’s in Interior Architecture at IED (Istituto Europeo di Design) for seven years.
Over the years, Zappulla’s work has been recognized by several institutions and awards including, the New Italian Blood Award early in his career, BIE – Bureau International des Expositions, Exhibitor Magazine’s World Expo Award, WAF Awards, BLT Built Design Award, 2A Europe Architecture Award, InArch Prize, Europan 8, SBID International Design Award, Architecture Master Prize, among others. Recently, he served as a juror for the Frame Design Awards, and the World Architecture Festival Awards.
Additionally, he has made significant contributions to academia and the professional field through various publications: he has authored scientific articles for Routledge and has been featured in magazines such as Future, Blueprint, Materia, Frame, Dezeen, Domus, ArchDaily, Design Boom, and Elle Decor, as well as in prominent Italian and Spanish newspapers like Il Sole 24 Ore and La Vanguardia. His projects are included in Architect’s Notebook and Architectural Process 2014 by Damdi Publishing, and in 2025, his first monograph will be published by Actar Publishers.
