ETTORE SOTTSASS ARCHITECTURES LANDSCAPE RUINS & CASA LANA
- mborsett
- Feb 21
- 3 min read
Written by Dylan C. R. @MBA ARCHITECTS
Ettore Sottsass was a famous architect and designer who was inspired to create products such as furniture and jewelry and designed many interior spaces and buildings. He was an inspiring designer that was greatly connected with exploring the relationships between space, memory and personal experience with the built environment.
The recent chapter in his exhibition series, “Ettore Sottsass: Architectures, Landscapes, Ruins," at Triennale
Milano takes people through his architectural process with the visuals of drawings, sketches and reflections.
By bringing together his vision through drawings he connects the themes of architecture that creates a powerful visual narrative on a large scale.
This exhibition is in Sala Sottsass which is the home to the Casa Lana permanent installation since January 2021.
Casa Lana is a private residence which was originally designed in mid 1960s Milan where it was reconstructed as an interior and open to the public.
This exhibition emphasizes on a variety of drawings from his post- Memphis era as well as his 1992 text Ruins to give the public a deeper understanding of Ettore Sottsass’s architectural thinking.
These drawings consist of excerpts from his 1992 text Ruins where he examines between two topics: the ever-changing nature of architecture and the relationship to history and human experience. Alongside his works within this exhibition are his reflection to promote visitors to think about the relationship between architecture and time. He believed that architecture is greater than aesthetics, it is fundamentally, how we interact with spaces around us.
Triennale Milano was carefully reconstructed a part of Casa Lana, which is a private residence that was designed in Milan during the 1960s for lithographer and printer Giovanni Lana. This reconstruction gives the public a great opportunity to see his vision for creating personal and functional living spaces in his eyes. Triennale Milano carefully analyzed and reconstructed this space to reflect the original design. This reconstruction was led by an architect named Luca Cipolletti on the first floor while Christoph Radl oversaw the design decisions.
This revives the historic design, and the exhibition allows newer generations to experience Ettore Sottsass views on architecture and living spaces.
The reconstruction of Casa Lana shows Sottsass’s capability to combine art and architecture in a beautiful and
functional design. Casa Lana represents Sottsass’s thinking of spatial innovation and living in small spaces. Within this design, Sottsass plays with the idea of “small space-living” by removing unnecessary corridors by creating a” seamless flow of interconnected "rooms within a room," maximizing space and offering a unique solution for modern living”.
Sottsass uses brilliant colors and materials that specifies the use of each space but also creates an experience that is beautiful but functional. This was carefully and thoughtfully designed to create a cohesive harmonious space that goes beyond designing traditional spaces such as separating different rooms.
Visiting this exhibit is not just an opportunity to view a historical piece of design; it’s a chance to experience how great design can change over time, influencing the way we think about living spaces in the present and future.
Sources:
Credit Images: https://www.mbaphotography.net
Very, very nice proposal, and wonder and confortable spaces: Geometry, Geometry forever and ever, and proportions (of course), sometimes a laberynt, sometimes Renaissance Villas. The square as inhabit place ... : garden, pharaonic panteon ..., but too domestic corners. A metting between objects from J. Colombo, and nets from van Doesburg : The space-sintaxys as experience key ... : a very nice trip trough stay. Thanks a lot for your special and dedicated vision Matteo.
reyesJM feb. 2025