Paolo Piva was born in Adria in 1950 and was an Italian-Austrian architect and designer. He began his studies in 1968 at the faculty of architecture at the University of Venice, collaborating in the meantime on several projects for the "Wig 74" competition in Vienna and for the competition on the resistance monument in the city of Modena. In 1973 he graduated with a thesis on Vienna. In 1975, followed by his professors Carlo Scarpa and Tafuri, he participates in the research for the realization of a large exhibition on Vienna related to the socialist period that will result in a real exhibition in Rome called "Vienna Rossa" in 1980. With Tafuri he edits the exhibition's book-catalogue and coordinates the layout. In the same year he designs on behalf of Kuwait the country's embassy in Qatar and other architecture in Italy. Later he is called upon for several projects such as the fittings of several clothing store chains, for the renovation of the Lingotto Fiat in Turin, and for the renovation of the Remer building in Venice. In 1987 he won the Compasso d'Oro award. Paolo Piva has worked as a designer in many national and international furniture companies such as B&B Italia and Wittmann Austria.