A room within a room, permanent and ‘alive’

Stefano Boeri, President of Triennale Milano, says that “Today Triennale Milano is giving the world a wonderful surprise: the faithful reconstruction of a part of Ettore Sottsass’s Casa Lana, a 'room within a room' that Triennale has dismantled and reassembled exactly as it was, thanks to the assistance of Iskra Grisogono of Studio Sottsass and to conversations with the family of the original owner. Milan is now home to an authentic time machine, created by one of the international geniuses of the twentieth century”.

“A little piazza is created, where one can move and meet”

The central area of the Casa Lana, on display at Triennale, consists of a wooden structure with sofas arranged in such a way as to form a protected place to sit and chat or listen to music, while the space around it can be used for various activities and purposes. The spaces are optimised because, by eliminating the corridors, “a little piazza is created, where one can move and meet”, as Ettore Sottsass himself described it (Domus, 1967).

The faithful reconstruction which fits perfectly into Muzio's architecture

The layout of the Sala Sottsass and its faithful reconstruction are the outcome of a meticulous study by the Triennale Milano archive and restoration centre, which saw the participation of Luca Cipelletti, and Christoph Radl, who followed the art direction of the project.

The first of the exhibitions dedicated to the conceptual work of Ettore Sottsass

A series of exhibitions and events, highlighting different aspects of the great master’s works and ideas, are being put on around the permanent display of the Casa Lana. Alongside the various exhibitions, a number of targeted donations will form the core of an important collection of works by the architect Ettore Sottsass Jr in the permanent collection of Triennale Milano.

The first exhibition, Ettore Sottsass. Struttura e colore, open to the public from 3 December 2021 to 12 June 2022, takes from the title of an article written by Sottsass in 1954. The display includes paintings, drawings, photographs and objects that reveal his close attention to the relationship between man and his needs, his rituals, and the space he lives in.

The second event, Ettore Sottsass. Il calcolo, set to run from July to November 2022, will examine the relationship between large numbers and technology, as well as his collaboration with Olivetti. The third show, entitled Ettore Sottsass. La parola, from December 2022 to April 2023, will open up to the narrative and literary power of Sottsass’s work.