projects | Viabizzuno progettiamo la luce

after the success of the first greenenergydesign event, interni returned to the university of milan to stage a major new exhibition dedicated to the concept of energy, seen as a symbolic human resource, presented in the form of sustainable projects and inventions. a series of micro-architectural, experimental and temporary projects was set up in the picturesque setting of the historic ca' granda in milan to stimulate reflection and debate on the use of energy resources and to provide a definition for all those human and inventive energies that materialise in any creative design process. the designers invited by interni to the university, the place par excellence for training future human resources, worked in this spirit on the energy metaphor with a group of companies and with a major contribution from co-producers enel and mini, to create a spectacular event, offering constructive stimuli and ideas to a wide range of public. in this programme, Chipperfield was the architect for the 'quinte a sistema’ project in cooperation with marazzi tecnica and Viabizzuno. a series of eighteen wings of different heights mark out the richini portico lengthwise: the wings, arranged over a length of more than seventy linear metres, are clad using a ceramic system by marazzi tecnica and lit with catena light fittings developed by Viabizzuno, a lighting design that integrates perfectly with the structural chains of the portico, lighting the vaults and architectural massing and putting accent lighting on the wings designed by the architect. chipperfield commented: ‘ecology and environment-related issues become increasingly important and give us designers a new focus. I have always been interested in architecture that has a certain intelligence, in how it is built and how it behaves, trying to use a sort of passive quality as much as possible. I think this is not the time for excess but rather one for a rethink.’