THE MAGAZINE OF INTERIORSAND CONTEMPORARY DESIGN
N° 4 APRILEAPRIL 2020
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DESIGN NEVER STOPS
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on line www.internimagazine.it
N. 4 aprile April 2020rivista fondata nel review founded in 1954
FocusINgCOMFORT ZONE
INsideGRAMMATICA COCOON, EMOZIONE E GEOMETRIACOCOON LOGIC: EMOTION AND GEOMETRY
DesigINgIL SILENZIO DEGLI OGGETTI THE SILENCE OF OBJECTS
ShootINgLA CASA SOFT THE SOFT HOMESMART WORKING SMART LIVING
Nell’immagine: vista del CoDe, il primo spazio museale dedicato al design italiano su una nave da crociera, la Costa Smeralda. Progetto di Adam D.Tihany/Tihany Design, allestimento e curatela scientifica di Matteo Vercelloni.In the image: view of the CoDe, the first museum of Italian design on a cruise ship, the Costa Smeralda. Project by Adam D.Tihany/Tihany Design, exhibit design and curating by Matteo Vercelloni.(foto di/photo by Andrea Martiradonna)
NEL PROSSIMONUMERO 5IN THE NEXT ISSUE
direttore responsabile/editorGILDA [email protected]
comitato scientifico/board of expertsANDREA BRANZIDOMITILLA DARDIDEYAN SUDJIC
consulenti/consultantsCRISTINA MOROZZIMATTEO VERCELLONIRUDI VON WEDEL
redazione/editorial staffMADDALENA [email protected](caporedattore/editor-in-chief)DANILO SIGNORELLO [email protected](caposervizio/senior editor ad personam)ANTONELLA [email protected](vice caposervizio architetturearchitectural vice-editor)CAROLINA [email protected](vice caposervizio/vice-editor ad personam) produzione e sala posaproduction and photo studio KATRIN [email protected] e news/production and newsNADIA [email protected] e sala posaproduction and photo studioANDREA [email protected] e news/production and news
rubriche/columnsVIRGINIO BRIATOREgiovani designer/young designersGERMANO CELANTarte/art
grafica/layoutMAURA [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
segreteria di redazione/editorial secretariatALESSANDRA [email protected]/headADALISA [email protected] del direttore/assistant to the editor
contributi di/contributorsSILVANA ANNICCHIARICOMAURIZIO BARBERISFILIPPO BRICOLOMARIA CLARA CAGLIOTI PAOLO CASICCIPATRIZIA CATALANOVALENTINA CROCIDOMITILLA DARDIEDOARDO DE COBELLICLAUDIA FORESTIELISA MASSONIFRANCESCO MORACEALESSANDRO ROCCALAURA TRALDI
fotografi/photographsSIMONE BARBERISGEORGE DARRELLALBERTO FERRERO FERNANDO GUERRABEPPE RASOPAOLO RIOLZIEDMUND SUMNER
traduzioni/translationsTRANSITING SAS
aprile/April 2020
INdiceCONTENTS
INCOVERART CARLO GIAMBARRESI
INBRIEFMATERIALS UN SAPORE HANDMADE, PARTITURA ORGANICA / HANDMADE FLAVOR, ORGANIC SCORESUSTAINABILITY ARREDI ECOFRIENDLY, MORBIDEZZA OUTDOOR / ECO-FRIENDLY FURNISHINGS, OUTDOOR SOFTNESSVARIOUS SAVE!, WANTED DESIGN 2020
LookINgAROUNDPRODUCTION E LUCE SIA! / LET THERE BE LIGHT!PREZIOSI E SMART / PRECIOUS AND SMARTIL DESIGN CHE GENERA LO SPAZIO / DESIGN THAT GENERATES SPACESHOWROOMS MARSET: OGNI COSA È ILLUMINATA / EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATEDPROJECTS 28 POSTI RINNOVATI / 28 PLACES, RENEWEDNEST POP-UP BAR & LOUNGE IL TEMPIO DELL’APERITIVO / APERITIF TIME
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EXHIBITIONS LA GRANDE IMMAGINE NON HA FORMA? / DOES THE GREAT IMAGE HAVE NO FORM?LA RIVOLUZIONE SIAMO NOI / WE ARE THE REVOLUTIONAMARE L’ARCHITETTURA / FOR THE LOVE OF ARCHITECTUREARTE COME PERCEZIONE COLLETTIVA / ART AS COLLECTIVE PERCEPTIONYOUNG DESIGNERS FRANCESCO MEDA, FIGLIO D’ARTE E DESIGN / SON OF ART AND DESIGNFAIRS GREEN ARCHITECTUREATELIER NOMADE DI IDEE / NOMADIC ATELIER OF IDEASEVENTS L’OGGETTO IDENTITARIO / THE OBJECT OF IDENTITYSOS TERRA / SOS EARTHBOOKSTORE
TRANSLATIONSFIRMS DIRECTORY
In copertina: come il moto del mare, anche il design non si ferma, non si arrende, continua la sua missione che è quella di progettare un mondo migliore. Questo
il messaggio dell’illustrazione di Carlo Giambarresi che per rappresentare il design sceglie la nuova collezione
di divani PL – Collection 2020 di Knoll, disegnata da Piero Lissoni e raffigurata nel disegno sottostante.
On the cover: like the tides, design never stops, never gives up, continuing its on its mission, which is that
of creating a better world. This is the message of the illustration by Carlo Giambarresi, who has chosento represent design through the new PL collection
of sofas for 2020 by Knoll, a project by Piero Lissoni shown in the drawing below.
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aprile/April 2020
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EDITORIALDI / BY GILDA BOJARDI
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ARTSGIANFRANCO GORGONI, IL TESTIMONE DELLE AVANGUARDIE / WITNESS OF THE AVANT-GARDESDI / BY GERMANO CELANT
VIEWPOINTANTI-DARWINDI / BY ANDREA BRANZI
MASTERSADOLFO NATALINI ARCHITETTORE TESTO / ARTICLE MATTEO VERCELLONICHARLOTTE PERRIAND, INVENTING A NEW WORLDTESTO / ARTICLE DOMITILLA DARDIFRANCESCO BINFARÉ, IL VISIONARIO DEL COMFORT / THE COMFORT VISIONARYTESTO / ARTICLE SILVANA ANNICCHIARICO
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A CURA DI / EDITED BY ANTONELLA BOISI, CAROLINA TRABATTONI TESTI DI / TEXTS BY CLAUDIA FORESTI
INSTALLATIONSPRISMATIC CLOUD, TOKYO, DI / BY TOKUJIN YOSHIOKA FOTO / PHOTOS COURTESY TOKUJIN YOSHIOKA
ARCHITECTURECAMPUS BOCCONI, MILANO, DI / BY STUDIO SANAA FOTO / PHOTOS MARCO DE BIGONTINA
ARCHITECTURE & NATURENATURAL BIODIVERSITY CENTER, LEIDA, DI / BY NEUTELINGS RIEDIJK ARCHITECTS E / AND IRIS VAN HERPEN FOTO / PHOTOS SCAGLIOLA / BRAKEE, COURTESY NEUTELINGS RIEDIJK ARCHITECTS
INtopics
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ARCHITECTUREA CURA DI / EDITED BY ANTONELLA BOISITRANCOSO (BRASILE), MACCHINA SENSORIALE / SENSORIAL MACHINEPROGETTO / DESIGN STUDIO MK27FOTO / PHOTOS FERNANDO GUERRATESTO / ARTICLE FILIPPO BRICOLOROMA, SCRITTURE IN INTERNI / INTERIOR WRITINGSPROGETTO / DESIGN MARIA CRISTINA FINUCCIFOTO / PHOTOS ALBERTO FERREROTESTO / ARTICLE ANTONELLA BOISIMILANO, UN UNIVERSO IN LUCE SOFT / A WORLD IN SOFT LIGHTPROGETTO / DESIGN GIORGIO ARMANIFOTO / PHOTOS COURTESY BEPPE RASOTESTO / ARTICLE ANTONELLA BOISIISOLA DI MAN, UNA PIEGA NEL PAESAGGIO /A BEND IN THE LANDSCAPEPROGETTO / DESIGN FOSTER LOMASFOTO / PHOTOS EDMUND SUMNERTESTO / ARTICLE ALESSANDRO ROCCA
PROJECTFORMAFANTASMA, CAMBIO DI ROTTA / CHANGE OF COURSETESTO / ARTICLE LAURA TRALDIFOTO / PHOTOS GEORGE DARRELLKONSTANTIN GRCIC, IL DESIGN HA SENSO SE CREA RELAZIONI / DESIGN HAS MEANING IF IT CREATES RELATIONSHIPSTESTO / ARTICLE PAOLO CASICCI
COVER STORYOGGI, DOMANI, SEMPRE / NOW, TOMORROW, FOREVERTESTO / ARTICLE DOMITILLA DARDI
SHOOTINGIN SOSPENSIONE / IN SUSPENSION DI / BY NADIA LIONELLOFOTO / PHOTOS SIMONE BARBERISNUOVE GEOMETRIE / NEW GEOMETRIESDI / BY CAROLINA TRABATTONIFOTO / PHOTOS PAOLO RIOLZI
REVIEWWOOD MOODDI / BY KATRIN COSSETA
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INside DesignINg
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TRANSLATIONS
FIRMS DIRECTORYDI / BY ADALISA UBOLDI
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INservice
aprile/April 2020
INdiceCONTENTS
PROJECTETICA ED ESTETICA AUMENTATA AI TEMPI DEL CONTAGIO / AUGMENTED ETHICS AND AESTHETICS IN TIMES OF INFECTIONTESTO / ARTICLE FRANCESCO MORACEPROGETTARE L’EMERGENZA / DESIGNING THE EMERGENCYTESTO / ARTICLE ELISA MASSONI
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22 aprile 2020 INTERNI
La residenza Sartfell sull’isola di Man è quasi un eremo, un rifugio immerso in una riserva naturale la cui biosfera è tutelata dall’Unesco. La pietra locale montata a secco e la piegatura del volume puntano a una forte armonizzazione con il paesaggio.
foto di Edmund Sumnertesto di Alessandro Rocca
UNA PIEGANEL PAESAGGIOIn una riserva naturale sull’isola di Man, nel Mare
d’Irlanda, una casa dai muri massicci e lunghe finestre a nastro è il rifugio di una coppia di studiosi. Un volume
elementare avvolto attorno alla biblioteca, il ‘centro della conoscenza’ che, attraversando
l’edificio in verticale fino al lucernario, collega la terra al cielo, e viceversa
INsideARCHITECTURE
Progetto di FOSTER LOMAS
INsideARCHITECTURE
Ormai qualsiasi progetto, quando si trova in un contesto non urbano, proclama a gran voce l’obiettivo dell’inserimento nel paesaggio. Tra i mezzi che si usano – più o meno sono sempre gli stessi – ce ne sono due che fanno la parte del leone: la finestra panoramica e i materiali locali. La residenza Sartfell non fa eccezione, e sceglie le opzioni più semplici: grandi finestre spalancate sul paesaggio e una tecnologia rustica, e ben radicata nel luogo, come il muro a secco. Ma la differenza, rispetto alle pratiche più scontate, è che i due temi sono svolti fino in fondo, sviluppandone tutte le potenzialità e trovando effetti che, partendo da presupposti chiari e giusti, giungono a risultati originali. La finestra, per esempio, rielabora con ironia un concetto chiave dell’architettura modernista: nessuno seppe inventare il nuovo come Le Corbusier, che fu un impareggiabile produttore di slogan, cliché e parole d’ordine e, tra le sue idee più belle e fortunate, c’è la finestra in lunghezza, di cui sostenne le qualità e i vantaggi rispetto alla finestra tradizionale, verticale. Se la finestra verticale presuppone una visione, verso l’esterno, statica, da fermi, spiegava il maestro, la finestra in lunghezza, a nastro, segue l’andamento dello sguardo e il movimento del corpo nello spazio, e ritaglia una fascia continua di paesaggio. Lo studio inglese, diretto da Will Foster e Greg Lomas, interpreta l’indicazione lecorbusiana in una versione efficace nell’esaltare le caratteristiche materiche, spaziali e di comfort del loro edificio. Il progetto cerca, e trova, la definizione precisa delle caratteristiche specifiche di ciascun ambiente e l’espressione più appropriata per le relazioni, e le connessioni, tra le diverse parti. Lo spazio principale è collocato al piano nobile, al secondo livello, ed è equamente distribuito tra il soggiorno e la biblioteca. Diviso in due ali chiaramente distinte, ma non separate, dalla piegatura del volume, il soggiorno mantiene una forte continuità, grazie alla finestra orizzontale e al muro perimetrale che, se all’esterno è di pietra grezza, all’interno diventa uno scorrevole margine in cemento, accompagnato dalle rigature orizzontali tracciate dalla carpenteria del getto. La cucina è situata in corrispondenza della finestra a nastro che prosegue e gira attorno all’angolo, con gli elementi addossati alla parete e un ampio piano libero, al centro, che contiene il lavabo e che serve da tavolo da lavoro e da pranzo. Il
soggiorno si trova dall’altro lato, oltre la piega, ed è altrettanto minimalista; anche qui c’è un unico elemento posto al centro: un imponente camino nero che ha la funzione di definire qualità e usi dello spazio. Per il resto, sono sufficienti un semplice coffee table, due poltrone spaiate, che danno le spalle alla finestra a nastro, e una piccola cassettiera verticale. Agli arredi si aggiunge una spartana seduta, ricavata nel vano profondo della finestra laterale, che cita l’abituale divanetto posto all’interno del bow window, così tipico della casa inglese. Se la finestra a nastro sottolinea l’andamento orizzontale, il vano della biblioteca esprime invece un asse verticale che, leggero e luminoso, parte dal piano inferiore, si porta al livello del soggiorno e culmina poi in un generoso lucernario. Di forma triangolare, la biblioteca è composta da due librerie in lamiera di acciaio con finitura scura acidata, imbullonate al muro di cemento, una per livello, e da un sistema
La residenza si affianca a un cottage tipico dell’isola di Man, conosciuto come Cloud 9, che è stato restaurato e riportato alle condizioni originali. I due edifici, collegati da un passaggio vetrato, sono inseriti in una zona del terreno sistemata con nuovi muri di sostegno in pietra a secco.
La cucina in legno di quercia europea realizzata su disegno è proiettata verso il paesaggio attraverso la finestra continua. Il camino, al centro del soggiorno, è di JC Bordelet (fornito da Lloyds Heat Design). Arredi vintage e cuscini di Charlene Mullen.
52 / aprile 2020 INTERNI INTERNI aprile 2020 / 53
INsideARCHITECTURE
Sopra, il muro perimetrale, in pietra a secco
e cemento, ha un forte spessore (65 cm),
così come è evidente la robustezza
della struttura del tetto. Sullo sfondo, la biblioteca a doppia altezza, il ‘centro
della conoscenza’ che, secondo il desiderio
dei due proprietari (uno scienziato
e un insegnante, si pone come elemento
predominante dell’intera residenza. A destra, un dettaglio di una
delle due camere da letto, poste al livello inferiore.
di rampe e passerelle che, realizzato in lamiera forata e sottili strutture d’acciaio, lascia filtrare sia la luce che lo sguardo, permettendo di percepire con evidenza la verticalità e la luminosità dello spazio.Il paesaggio e il contesto sono quindi fonte di ispirazione per i materiali, la luce, l’impatto visivo dell’edificio, le relazioni tra interno ed esterno, e sono anche motivo di scelte tecniche volte a raggiungere una buona sostenibilità energetica e ambientale. Con il tempo, il muro di pietra sarà colonizzato da muschi e piccole piante e il tetto giardino già ospita fieno e fiori di campo, mentre l’energia è fornita dalle acque del lago vicino, dal compostaggio e da una turbina eolica. Un interesse specifico è rivolto anche al terreno circostante, che si vuole riportare allo stato originario, con l’impianto di alberi autoctoni, la ricostituzione del prato spontaneo e delle torbiere dove fioriscono rare specie di orchidee. ■
Il vano triangolare della biblioteca, percorsa dal sistema di passerelle e rampe interamente costruito in lamiera forata e illuminato da un lucernario. Sullo sfondo, il soggiorno e la finestra continua affacciata sul paesaggio.
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P42. A WORLD IN SOFT LIGHTproject GIORGIO ARMANIphotos Beppe Raso/courtesy of Giorgio Armani Archivearticle Antonella Boisi
GIORGIO ARMANI IS BACK AT VIA SANT’ANDREA 9 IN MILAN, IN THE FIRST BOUTIQUE HE OPENED IN 1983, EXPANDED AND COMPLETELY REINVENTED TO APTLY EXPRESS THE DNA OF THE MAISON
“There’s no end. There’s no beginning. Only the infinite passion for life.” These are the words of Federico Fellini, but they also work for Giorgio Armani. He started here, and here he returns: Giorgio Armani reopens the store on Via Sant’Andrea, where he created his first boutique in 1983, on a quiet and very Milanese street in the so-called Fashion Quad, synonymous with international style and luxury. From 2010 to 2017 the space contained the Armani/Casa line, now celebrating its first 20 years in the store on Corso Venezia at the corner of Via San Damiano. Today, in the reinvented ‘location’ in the fashion district, on four levels with a total area of 1200 square meters – twice as large as the original – Giorgio Armani links up the threads of his professional career in a structured, detailed and integrated universe, from fashion (foremost here) to product design (Armani/Casa), architecture to interior design (in the world and at this site). As demonstrated by the video walls at every level and the four interactive screens at the entrance, with images of this season’s offerings. “I return her today with a different experience, aware that this is not a matter of nostalgia. I wanted the quintessence of my vision of timeless beauty to enter a dialogue with the contemporary world, ranging from accessories to prêt-à-porter, all the way to fine tailoring, with exclusive bespoke services,” he says. “I don’t make particular distinctions between my various activities. I am interested in them all, in the same way, because I have created an entire lifestyle, which starts from fashion but includes much else. Fashion dresses the body, but the body lives in space, and architecture dresses that space, as well as embodying it: for me, that is the magic triangle. I might add that architecture is permanent, almost, and re-sponds to the need for timelessness that also exists in my fashion. I devote much of my day to interior design projects, but everything mixes and blends, and this is why my work is consistent and organic. I like the delicacy of certain colors combined with the refinement of textures, for example, and it matters not if it is a rare marble or silk. Often the work in one field reverberates in another, as is only fitting.” Ar-mani has orchestrated the project firsthand, day after day, down to the smallest details, with his highly qualified and specialized team (in the design of hotels, res-taurants, shops and residences: a true studio of 30 people, as well as 15 others working on interior design), instead of turning to big names in architecture as he has done in the past. His constantly fresh perspective is immediately perceptible from the outside of the boutique, which interrupting the classic frontage of the street, the dense series of historic buildings concealing secret gardens, presets it-self in a balanced way with the image of a glass box, enhanced by the platinum-color finish of the upper levels and a surprising base in green Fantastico granite. As in a clever puzzle, the geometric lines of the base become two lateral passages at ground level, through which to reach the internal portico, which is both an en-trance and a showcase, enhanced by evocative checked flooring in large slabs of multicolored marble and onyx. Applied in the internal spaces in keeping with the different display zones, this effect eloquently defines the layout of the boutique, the changes of pace and narrative sequences of other boxes cut into the overall volume to contain: on the ground floor, the women’s collection of clothing and ac-cessories, and the Armani Beauty corner with make-up stations; on the first floor, the men’s collection and formalwear; on the second, the eveningwear, the Made to Order and Made to Measure services, and the gift zone with the most precious objects of Armani/Casa, for the most exclusive luxury. Each space has its own dis-tinct material-chromatic mood (on the ground floor alone, for example, we find green Antigua marble, green Fantastico granite and gray-green onyx from Iran, Vel-luto onyx from Turkey, Port Laurent marble from Morocco, Lemurian granite from Madagascar, Corteccia quartzite from Brazil, Blue Sky marble from China), also ex-pressed by other elements that punctuate and shape the connective fabric in a rhythmical way: from the platinum-color doors with mother-of-pearl to the silk pa-per coverings of the walls up to the ceilings, which echo the colors and grains of the other materials. The lucid formal order of this dynamic ‘matrioshka’ is also the re-sult of the linear, rigorous furnishings placed along the walls, with their built-in lights and dark borders in eucalyptus wood, accents of an elegance from the 1930s and 1940s, rendered fluid by the luminosity of the platinum-tone metal tables, in resin with a fabric effect, and the smaller ones in pear wood and mother-of-pearl, with handmade inlays by Italian artisans. Balanced luminosity is another major theme of the project: the light from the large perimeter windows is never direct, but always filtered and shaped by thin vertical gilded metal screens. The glass volume at the first floor is also protected by these diaphanous elements, with a checked floor in green Antigua marble and green Fantastico granite, surrounded by bamboo plants, an Armani favorite, to create a sort of ‘winter garden.’ On the second level the space is made dynamic by six glass doors that open to the skylight of the glazed
volume below, and by the three openings on Via Sant’Andrea that offer a privileged view of the Baroque frieze on the 16th-century Palazzo Morando across the street. Glimpses and perspectives, progressive discoveries and correspondences of a unique place, where the basement is equally unique in its arrangement as a sort of mini-theater for presentations (with 78 seats), immersed in the soft grain of Velluto onyx and walls in silk with the same tone. As for the vertical connections, alongside the elevators the movement between the levels of the boutique happens in a uni-fied way with the by-now iconic rectilinear ‘Armani-ized’ staircases, totally clad here in Velluto onyx (including the lower surface of the steps), with details in gold-color metal, where the clear, regular profiles constitute a recognizable stylistic touch of Giorgio Armani. After all, as he says, “elegance is not about getting noticed, but about being remembered.”
CAPTIONS: pag. 43 The facade of the boutique of Giorgio Armani on Via Sant’Andrea glows with the color of platinum on the upper levels, with a base in green Fantastico granite. In the drawing, plan of the ground floor. On the facing page, the glass box that forms the display window and the entrance portico through two lateral passages. Note the evocative checked flooring made with large slabs of green Fantastico granite from Iran. pag. 45 View of the ground floor, set aside for women’s clothing and accessories. To the right, the linear staircase clad in Velluto onyx with gold-color metal details, and – behind it – the Armani Beauty corner. The red thread connecting the internal spaces is the precious flooring in multicolored marble and onyx, varied in specific moods for the individual display zones. Platinum-color portals with mother-of-pearl profiles fluidly pace the passages from one zone to the next. Silk wallcoverings by Armani/Casa are placed on the walls, up to the ceilings, echoing the colors and grains of the other materials. The perimeter furnishings, of rigorous Cartesian geometry, stand out for their dark borders in eucalyptus wood, and are custom items, like the freestanding metal tables. pag. 47 On these pages, two views of the first floor, set aside for menswear, with a small bamboo garden and the custom-made skylight to underline the dialogue with natural light, along with furnishings by Armani/Casa, including small tables in pear wood and mother-of-pearl. Thin gilded metal screens in front of the glazing filter the ambient light, making it enhance the finishes and materials in a soft way. Right, the room in the basement with 78 seats, set aside for presentations, is a box in soft tones of Velluto onyx, with silk wallcoverings in the same hue. pag. 49 On this page, a zone for men’s bespoke tailoring, with personalized services and treatments. Furnishings by Armani/Casa. To the side, a table and two chairs placed in front of six display cases for the fine jewelry creations of Giorgio Armani, forming an area of exclusive luxury on the second floor.
P50. A BEND IN THE LANDSCAPEproject FOSTER LOMASphotos Edmund Sumner - article Alessandro Rocca
IN A NATURE RESERVE ON THE ISLE OF MAN, IN THE IRISH SEA, A HOUSE WITH SOLID WALLS AND LONG RIBBON WINDOWS IS THE REFUGE OF A SCHOLARLY COUPLE. A BASIC VOLUME WRAPPED AROUND THE LIBRARY, THE ‘CENTER OF KNOWLEDGE’ THAT VERTICALLY CROSSES THE BUILDING AS FAR AS THE SKYLIGHT, CONNECTING EARTH AND SKY
At this point any project in a non-urban setting has to loudly proclaim its harmoni-ous insertion in the landscape. The means used to this end – more or less always the same – are mainly two in number: panoramic windows and local materials. The Sartfell residence is no exception, and chooses the simplest of options: large win-dows gaping towards the landscape, and a rustic technology rooted in the location, that of dry masonry. The difference, with respect to consolidated practices, is that both themes are taken to great depth, developing all their potential and achieving effects of great originality by starting with clear, accurate premises. The window, for example, is an ironic take on a key concept of modern architecture: no one knew how to invent novelty like Le Corbusier, that peerless producers of slogans, clichés and key terms, and one of his best and most popular ideas was the long horizontal window, whose qualities and advantages he praised as opposed to the traditional vertical opening. While the vertical window implies a static, standstill view of the outside, the ribbon window allows the gaze to wander, allowing for the movement of the body in space, offering a continuous strip of landscape. The English architec-ture firm helmed by Will Foster and Greg Lomas interprets this idea in a version that effectively brings out the characteristics of material, space and comfort of the building. The project seeks and finds the precise definition of the specific features of each space, and the most appropriate expression of the relationships and con-nections between the various parts. The main space is on the piano nobile, at the second level, and is equally divided between the living area and the library. Split into two distinct but not separate wings by the bending of the volume, the living room offers continuity thanks to the horizontal window and the perimeter wall, in rough stone on the outside, becoming a sliding concrete margin on the inside, ac-companied by the horizontal lines of the imprints of the formwork. The kitchen is placed to correspond with the ribbon window that continues around the corner, with fixtures placed against the wall and a large free surface, at the center, to con-
tain the sink and to serve as a worktop and dining table. The living room is on the other side, beyond the bend, and is equally minimalist. Here too there is a single ele-ment placed at the center: an impressive black fireplace that defines the qualities and uses of the space. Otherwise, a simple coffee table, two different armchairs with their backs to the ribbon window, and a small vertical chest of drawers will suffice. The furnishings are joined by spartan seating created in the deep compart-ment of the lateral window, in a reference to the typical settee situated inside a bow window in English homes. While the ribbon window underscores the horizontal extension, the space of the library emphasizes a vertical axis, light and luminous, that starts from the lower level and continues to the living area, culminating finally in a large skylight. With a triangular form, the library is equipped with two book-cases in steel sheet with a dark etched finish, bolted onto the concrete wall, one per level. The system of ramps and gangways has been made with perforated sheet metal and slender steel structures, allowing both the light and the gaze to enter, for perception of the vertical thrust and luminosity of the space. The landscape and the context provide the inspiration for the materials, the light, the visual impact of the building, the indoor-outdoor relations, and also guide the choices of methods to achieve a high level of environmental sustainability and energy efficiency. Over time the stone wall will be colonized by moss and small plants, and the roof garden al-ready contains grasses and wild flowers, while energy is supplied by the waters of the nearby lake, composing and a windmill. A special focus has to do with the sur-rounding land, which will be taken back to its original state by planting native trees, recreating the wild meadow and the peat bogs that host rare species of orchids.
CAPTIONS: pag. 50 The Sartfell residence on the Isle of Man is almost a hermitage, a refuge immersed in a nature reserve whose biosphere is protected by UNESCO. The local stone used for the dry masonry and the bend in the volume create a sense of harmony with the landscape. pag. 52 The house stands next to a typical cottage of the Isle of Man, known as Cloud 9, which has been restored to its original condition. The two buildings, connected by a glass passage, are inserted in a zone that has been organized with new support walls in dry stone masonry. pag. 53 The custom kitchen in European oak is in contact with the landscape thanks to a continuous window. The fireplace at the center of the living area is by JC Bordelet (supplied by Lloyds Heat Design). Vintage furnishings and cushions from Charlene Mullen. pag. 54 Above, the perimeter wall in dry stone masonry and concrete is thick (65 cm), as can be seen in the sturdy structure of the roof. In the background, the two-story library, the ‘center of knowledge’ which in keeping with the desires of the owners (a scientist and a teacher) becomes the main feature of the entire house. Right, detail of one of the two bedrooms on the lower level. pag. 55 The triangular space of the library, crossed by systems of gangways and ramps entire made with perforated sheet metal, lit by a skylight. In the background, the living area and the continuous window facing the landscape.
FocusINgPROJECT
P56. AUGMENTED ETHICS AND AESTHETICS IN TIMES OF INFECTIONby Francesco Morace
THE HEALTH CRISIS HAS INTERRUPTED THE CHAIN OF TRUST. TO FIX IT, WE WILL HAVE TO FOCUS ON INTRINSIC VALUES AND MEET THE CHALLENGE IN TERMS OF QUALITY AND BEAUTY. A RETURN TO SUBSTANCE AND THE GREAT TRADITION OF DESIGN
In this confused time we have witnessed the disconcerting outbreak of the Corona-virus Covid-19. Not just a colorful, refined and disturbing image, with powerful communicative redundancy, but also a tangible threat to everything we cherish: our health, our families, our community. It is a blow to our wholeness: first from the viewpoint of image and symbolism, then from that of our state of physical wellbeing and our system of life. The indication, also for the world of design, is clearer than ever: to reinforce everything that involves knowledge and expertise, to take care of each other. Realizing that this is a constituent part of our humanity. Only in this way can we reinforce the social fabric and its immune system, which is not just bio-logical but also a matter of projects, culture, relations. We are often convinced that we have control over reality and its evolutionary dynamics. We imagine that, also due to the rise of technological innovation and Artificial Intelligence. The outbreak of contagion has suddenly altered this perception. Nothing will be as it was before, for many years. Like the events of 11 September in a different decade, the virus undermines social relations, leading to fear that feeds distrust and disorientation. The Censis Report published at the end of 2019 showed that 75.5% of Italians do not trust each other, and the threat of infection came along a few months later to prove it. The digital dimension has often permitted the spread of distrust, without anyone realizing it: a powerful virus that erodes any social construction from the inside. The capitalism of platforms has proposed the dream of a reality accessible to all, but in practice it has proven to be a picklock in the hands of the few, produc-ing a sick model of hunting for clicks, creating economic value sustained in quanti-
ties of sensationalism, fake news and haters, which function for the sole purpose of multiplying distrust, conflict and hatred. In this way, communication itself has un-dergone erosion that is hard to measure, but by now is evident to the most attentive observers. The chain reaction of suspicion has been driven almost automatically by the media, exploited by fear mongers, shifted from the category of immigrants to that of Chinese people, and even faster to Lombards and Venetians: in a few days we have all become infected outcasts. With the paradoxical consequence of panic: the assault on supermarkets in the first days of the crisis proves that. Italian tour-ists refused entry at borders have had the unpleasant experience of being discrimi-nated against for the first time, simply for the fact that they belong to a region, or even to a country. Distrust has turned the tables on us, causing our temporary isolation from the world. Trade fairs and international events, major or local, have been postponed, the pride of our country and of Made in Italy, events that attract-ed professionals, companies and people from all over the world. The Italian Factor has lost its appeal, in spite its famous hospitality and expertise. Then it has been the turn of others. The lesson is clear: there will always be someone who is purer or less contaminated than we are, someone from further south (or further north, in the paradox that chance has brought to us in these months); in the eyes of others, we will always be infected. It is in the context of this pandemic of suspicion that the duo Trust and Truth has inevitably lost its bearings. So it is necessary to intervene on the preservation of the chain of trust: a chain that has rusted and needs to be repaired through Augmented Ethics, followed by Augmented Aesthetics. In this kind of thinking, necessary to cope with the times in which we live, on one side sci-ence will be important, and on the other the ability to go back to producing beauty, taste, emotion. This will lead us to come to grips with the authenticity and rigor of the processes with which science experiments, with innovations guaranteed through widespread protocols: not only swabs for testing for infection or new phar-macological principles, but also new behaviors to define the basic norms of the mental hygiene of a community. In this dimension of Augmented Ethics we might finally have the chance to make trust and truth converge, after decades in which first mass media and then digital circuits have worked in the opposite direction. A new appreciation of the value of care, efficiency and authenticity, but also of com-petence and concreteness, taste and beauty, innovative and creative thinking. Working with the forces we have available, or forming new ones. We will then rea-son about the world after the contagion, which will resemble a postwar period: ethics and aesthetics will triumph, sustainability will be smarter, services will be shared, beauty will be a common good, communication will confront the great issue of truth, taught to us by the contagion. It will be increasingly difficult to manipulate knowledge when the results are visible on an everyday basis. And this explains the disorientation experienced by the entire media system, that has produced con-trasting and conflicting information day after day: just read back through the head-lines of newspapers, contradicting each other and themselves, even hour by hour. And then, if this is the outlook, let’s think about the potential of Italy. The Italian System, especially in the furniture/design sector, can become an antidote: it can reinforce the immune system by wagering on uniqueness, creativity, distinction. It can re-address the challenge in terms of Augmented Beauty, following its nature and reinforcing its own DNA. After the time of danger, in the post-virus era, people will be doubly motivated and ready to make their expertise grow, enhancing knowl-edge, stimulating creativity: Design Week can be the protagonist of this scenario, in a post-contagion vision, offering distinctive, beautiful and honest products, to live with and to enjoy together. Qualities of which Italy can boast, to rediscover and regenerate. To do this we will have to activate strategies of listening to and under-standing the new generations, to manage the delicate relationship between busi-ness and design, to combine memory and imagination, to maintain the right bal-ance between the heartbeat of a Milan-laboratory and the breathing of a market/world finally free of infection. The Augmented Ethics we are able to call into play will sustain the Augmented Aesthetics that will put the quality of projects and products at the center, respecting the great tradition of Italian Design, represented by those companies, those designers, those professionals who will know how to reconcile technological innovation and formal research, experimentation with ma-terials and attention to new behaviors. We can turn to this great return to sub-stance, to the central importance of beauty, of things well made, of taste and hon-esty, after the virus, when we want to recognize the forgotten value of what we are lacking right now.
CAPTIONS: pag. 56 Two images of Coronavirus Covid-19.
P58. DESIGNING THE EMERGENCYarticle Elisa Massoni
DESIGN HAS ALWAYS DEALT WITH BASIC HUMAN NEEDS AND THE MOST URGENT ASPECTS OF MATERIAL CULTURE. THIS IS WHY IT CAN PROVIDE VERY USEFUL TOOLS TO COPE WITH A COMPLEX TIME SUCH AS OURS
Emergency is a word that has to do with the fragility of systems, their permeabil-ity and the unexpected. In a culture that cherishes the illusion of having found
