A welcoming place for intimate discussion created by the Lombardini22 architectural association, to share experiences, concerns, business topics and ideas. Two people keen to take part and propose new ideas, chaired by a “philosopher” with an audience of enthusiastic professionals from the world of real estate.

This was the atmosphere that characterised the first discussion organised by Lombardini22, on 15^th July last, with the title ‘Debating Development’, chaired by the design philosopher, Virginio Briatore with the participation of Cesare Ferrero, managing director of INPARTNER/BNP Paribas Real Estate Property Development and Severino Salvemini, professor of business management at the Bocconi University and head of the degree course in economy for the arts, culture and communication (CLEACC).

A meeting that successfully united culture and improvisation, the professional with spontaneity to try and create a vision of less anxiety inducing scenarios. The discussion was opened with the Snorkel metaphor, everyone covered up, alienated, under water, wearing a snorkel, suggested by Severino Salvemini to illustrate the lack of action by large corporations and it was expanded with the subtle distinction between “propensity for taking risks” and the simple “survival dictated by want”, suggested by Cesare Ferrero. As if to say that, in Italy, things are only done out of dire necessity, otherwise you just wait.

And Ferrero said even if the world of academia appears not to understand the seriousness and paralysis of the business world, especially in the public sector, it does however know how to focus lucidly on the symptoms of the disease running through our society. A situation of stalemate, of corporate anorexia, says Salvemini, in which the rules for a new generation of strategies need to be rewritten and people should be assessed on their ability to take risks, because today the only real risk is of not taking any risks and, without risk, there is only mediocrity and stagnation.

For Ferrero, a man “of action” and promoter of major building developments, the difficulty is of rushing ahead when the speed is set by the slowest. And it is of accepting a culture that moves only if obliged to “change” without absorbing the wealth of opportunity that lies behind every risk. And even the English confirm it, when talking about risk they say ‘take your chance’!

Maybe there is less security in taking a risk, but a little more chance of happiness and fulfilment.

Jorge Luis Borges, the great thinker, underlines it in his own way and with whose words Virginio Briatore concluded the session.

If I could live my life again, in the next one I would try and make more mistakes, I wouldn’t try and be so perfect, I would disacknowledge myself more, I would be less serious than I have been, in fact I would take very little seriously. I would be less hygienic, I would take more risks, I would travel more, I would observe more sunsets, I would climb more mountains, I would swim more rivers, I would visit more places I have never been to, I would eat more ice creams and fewer broad beans, I would have more real problems and fewer imaginary ones. I was one of those people who lived sensibly and carefully every minute of life; of course, I have had times of joy but if I could go back I would try and have only good times. In case you don’t know what life is made up of, it is only moments; don’t waste today. I was one of those who never went anywhere without a thermometer, a hot water bottle, an umbrella and a parachute; if I could live my life again I would go barefoot at the start of spring and would stay like that until the end of autumn. I would go out more in my wheelchair, I would observe more dawns and I would play more with the children, if I had my life in front of me again. But, look, I am 85 years old and I know I am dying.