Piero Lissoni and Sanlorenzo return to Fuorisalone with ‘Fabbrica’ installation

Meanwhile in Milan, acclaimed Italian architect and designer Piero Lissoni is continuing his long standing association with the luxury yacht brand Sanlorenzo, to showcase a project at Università degli Studi di Milano for Milan Design Week 2022, titled Fabbrica, paying heed to the company’s industrial heritage and values. Presented as part of the exhibition INTERNI Design Re-Generation, co-produced with Audi, Plenitude, and Whirlpool for Fuorisalone, the installation builds on Lissoni’s earlier project for the 2019 edition of Italy’s most important furniture fair, dubbed From shipyard to courtyard, which featured wooden scaffolds that typified shipyards of yore. Placed at the centre of the campus' historic courtyard in Milan, this successive intervention takes form as a layered assemblage of Innocenti tubes, that complement the rhythm of the colonnades running along the space’s periphery.

The straight lines of the scaffolding conceal a ramped pathway, which offers different perspectives of the courtyard to visitors as they traverse its incline. In this vein, the structure also evokes the experience of climbing aboard a vessel while referencing the support frames often used by shipwrights in the construction of contemporary yachts and ships. As revealed by the brand in a press statement, "The structure thus conceived is linked to the industrial nature of Sanlorenzo and refers to the structures actually used to build boats in their shipyards."

Hence, through the use of imagery, changes in elevation, and material references, the large scale installation strives to replicate the unique experience of stepping aboard a Sanlorenzo yacht. At the pinnacle of the ramp is a platform designed to evoke the geometry and wooden deck of a yacht. An audio system built into it adds to the mesmeric atmosphere the installation engenders, through immersion in the sounds of a luxury experience at sea. Here, users can bask in Milan's summer sun and partake in scintillating views of the courtyard of the university while enjoying a preview of the exceptional maritime sojourn that Sanlorenzo yachts can offer. Once the sun falls below the horizon, the nature of the installation undergoes a dramatic metamorphosis, revealing a vertical superstructure composed of LED bars, which illuminate the assembly at night, to create an entirely new perspective in the minds of visitors.

In an official release, Piero Lissoni of Lissoni & Partners and Art Director of Sanlorenzo shares, "It's as if we have brought a piece of the shipyard, the place where boats are built, into the courtyard of the State University. It almost seems as if yachts are born under cabbages, but the truth is that behind them there is the work of many people, as well as the research, knowledge, and technology of a complex industrial reality. The intention for me is to reveal precisely this aspect."

On this note, the project’s goal is essentially to expose the intricacy of the research and technological know-how involved in the design and construction of luxury yachts - aspects of this cutting-edge industry that often go unnoticed in the eyes of the public. Tying into the theme of 'conscious design for a new future', which is central to the events under the Design Re-Generation exhibition, the installation also attempts to draw attention to Sanlorenzo’s commitment towards reducing its environmental impact while addressing challenges related to sustainable design in the current scenario, rife with the impending consequences of global climate change.

Sanlorenzo is also sponsoring the Italian Pavilion at the 59^th International Art Exposition - La Biennale di Venezia, as part of their involvement in major cultural events throughout 2022. Moreover, Lissoni and Sanlorenzo's collaboration on Fabbrica is also linked to their work on ARENA - an architectural installation on view at the ACP - Palazzo Franchetti in Venice throughout the seven-month duration of Arte Biennale 2022. The brand relays in conclusion, "What connects the two projects is the desire to give visitors a new experience, expressing in every detail the purest soul of Sanlorenzo and telling, through works of art and installations, a new way of addressing the key issues of the history and growth of the shipyard. This path has led to the creation of Sanlorenzo Arts, an active and interactive container of projects related to art and design that encompasses Sanlorenzo's initiatives in these two areas and interprets the brand's desire to be more and more a true producer of cultural content.”

STIR takes you on a Milanese sojourn! Experience Salone del Mobile and all the design districts - 5vie, Brera, Fuorisalone, Isola, Zona Tortona, and Durini - with us. STIR’s coverage of Milan Design Week 2022, Meanwhile in Milan showcases the best exhibits, moods, studios, events, and folks to look out for. We are also excited to announce our very own STIR press booth at Salone del Mobile - Hall 5/7 S.14, Fiera Milano RHO.