OLIVOMARE and OLIVOCARNE restaurants, as well as OLIVINO delikatessen shop of London, three of the last projects carried out abroad by Pierluigi Piu, have been selected last January 2015 by IN/ARCH, Istituto Nazionale Italiano di Architettura - within the research project “ARCHITECTURE: Energy for Made in Italy” (a promotional instrument for the internationalization of the Italian architectural industry) carried out in behalf of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development - to be part of a publication curated by such bodies, to which will soon follow a travelling exhibition to be held in different countries.

The Italian Ministry of Economic Development and ICE (agency for promotion and internationalization of Italian companies), together with IN/ARCH, ANCE, CNAPPC, FederlegnoArredo, Confindustria Ceramica, OICE and in collaboration with Archilovers (the international professional network for architects and designers), have set in motion a research and cataloguing work of projects carried out abroad by Italian architectural practices, with the intention of investigating and giving documentary evidence to their international activities, paying particular attention to smaller offices which have proven to have successfully engaged themselves on the market of architectural services in foreign countries.
Such research aims at developing a narration of international experiences of Italian architects and at highlighting their cooperation with the excellence of the Italian building industry in carrying out their projects abroad.
The Italian project of architecture is progressively standing out as a new product and as a real ambassador of Made in Italy. The rest of the world is paying growing attention to our architectural culture, with regard to projects themselves and the materials they imply. In the last few years Italian architects and engineers have made themselves respected in many circumstances, even when competing with big international subjects, so spreading in the world the original works of talented professionals as well as the culture and the excellence of our country, our cities, our lanscapes and our knowledge, enhancing a typically Italian approach to the architectural project, arising from a sedimented culture coming from past centuries and showing our ability in dialoguing with a giving environment, yet ready to catch any sign of innovation, prepared to critical re-interpretations of local building traditions, able to conciliate linguistic research with attention to sustainability, a.s.o.
Such demand for Italian Architecture needs to be fed, oriented and implemented through cognitive and promotional actions of Italian architectural design and designers in the world, as well as of a whole industrial system founded on innovative and traditional materials and technologies.