Umberto Riva (Milan, 1928 – Palermo, 2021) was an Italian architect and designer. He studied architecture in Venice, graduating in 1959.
His professional activity began in Milan in 1960. His projects evolve on diverse scales ranging from urban spaces to individual buildings, landscape and interiors, and furnishing to furniture and lamp design.
Since the beginning, his works have been published in the principal design magazines. Among the architectural projects: the houses in Stintino, Sardinia (1960) and in Osmate (1975); the school of Faedis (1977); Piazza San Nazaro in Milan (1989-1992); Casa Miggiano in Otranto (1990-1996); Case alla Morlana in Bergamo (1991 and 1995-2002); the Fincantieri shipyard, Castellammare (1999-2002); Piazza della Farnesina in Rome (1991 and 1996-2002) and the San Corbiniano Church located in the Infernetto suburb in Rome (2011).
Among the interiors: Casa Frea in Milan (1983-1984); Casa Insinga in Milan (1987); Casa Vernizzi in Paris (1988); the IB Office store in Padua (1992); the layout of the atrium, bar and library of the Palazzo dell’Arte in Milan (1994-1995); the renovation of Caffè Pedrocchi in Padua (1994-1998); the architectural new arrangement of Palazzo Barbaran da Porto in Vicenza(1998).
His projects have been exhibited in many international exhibition including the Paris Biennial and La Triennale di Milano. Among the majors exhibitions: “Umberto Riva. Sistemazioni Urbane”, Palazzo Bosdari in Ancona (1997); “Disegni di Architettura dal Dopoguerra ad oggi, dalla collezione di Francesco Moschini” at the Scuderie Medicee di Poggio in Caiano (2002); “Rooms You May Have Missed: Bijoy Jain, Umberto Riva” at the CCA of Montreal (2015).
Since 1999 he had been member of the Accademia di San Luca; in 2003 and in 2018 he was awarded the Gold Medal for Italian Architecture by La Triennale di Milano.