The big surprise of the Salone del Mobile 2023 is the new Euroluce: Lombardini22 told Interni what it will be like and why

Euroluce 2023 is scheduled at Milan Rho Fiera from 18 to 23 April 2023 in pavilions 9-11 and 13-15: and it will be the real novelty of the Salone del Mobile 2023.

In fact, there will be a new layout, totally different from the traditional checkerboard one: circular, in the dark, designed by Lombardini22< /a> based on the flow theory.

What does it mean?

We asked Lombardini22, Viola Cambié, R+D Computational Engineer DDLab Team, Federica Sanchez, Architect + Neuroscience Researcher Consultant, and Lorenzo Cavallero, Architect and Building Engineer - BIM Specialist.

They are the ones who, with the coordination of Cristian Catania, developed the project with the aim of responding to the needs that emerged during the consultation round tables with stakeholders in the lighting sector .

What is flow theory?

Viola Cambié: “In the Euroluce project, we interpreted the flows from the point of view of perception. Our focus, inside the pavilions, was the qualitative analysis of the journey of the visitors, linked to perception.

It was a question of putting the person at the centre, therefore not a stand-centric configuration.

We analyzed perception within this more organic conformation and we applied the theory of Space Syntax which, developed in the 70s by Professor Bill Hillier, stems from the concept that pure geometric shape can influence the natural movement of people and consequently the behavior in the space.

Our idea was to analyze the various places to understand the nature of the space.

It is the conformation that influences the movement, which is called movement natural. So naturally, the person will tend to take one path rather than another. This means that it is the space that induces the person to go in one direction rather than another. Then light, colors and materials come into play.

What was your purpose?

Viola Camblé: “The idea was, at first, to optimize the view and make sure that people could see as many stands as possible with less effort.

Later, insert all the elements that define a fair.

We have tried to identify the areas where more crowds are expected than those furthest away from the movement, in order to be able to balance them.

A perceptive analysis but supported by geometric measurements: the results obtained are inserted within a design loop, becoming a data-driven project to all intents and purposes.

Then it is possible to make changes to the project, launch the analysis, see how it is working, understand if there are any critical issues, recreate and re-launch the analysis again, and so on.

How does this analysis take place?

Viola Camblé: “There are several typologies: the first is focused on the guidelines, as if we were going to analyze the nervous system of the project. It is possible to visualize the main and secondary axes, the most integrated streets and therefore the most easily accessible and the most central ones.

The other analysis is linked to visual perception, as if I positioned myself at every point, considering only solids and voids, everything that is an obstacle and what is not.

Is this your first time applying it at a fair?

Viola Camble: “Yes. A big start that comes after a long period of in-depth study on these issues, partly in synergy with neuroscience.

How did the Euroluce 2023 project develop?

Lorenzo Cavallero: “In the months leading up to the start of the actual planning, the Salone del Mobile started research among the exhibitors to understand the needs and critical issues of Euroluce.

Lombardini22 was involved in the creation of a masterplan that would give answers in architectural terms to the needs expressed by visitors and exhibitors.

The traditional checkerboard system has numerous advantages of a technical nature, but at the same time provides for the presence of a large number of streets which generates a sense of disorientation in the visitor.

Lombardini22's response to the needs that emerged from the survey was a layout that organizes the routes around a single circular route.

In this way, on the one hand, the exhibitor is offered a greater probability that visitors will pass in front of his stand, on the other, it facilitates the experience of people, who will have the opportunity to visit the entire event with less time and energy.

Do you compromise between flow analysis and design?

Lorenzo Cavallero: “Certainly. First of all there was the intuition to revolutionize the paths of Euroluce by reorganizing them around a single circular path.

Downstream of this creative input, flow analysis was a valuable tool in the design phase, because it initiated an iterative process that allowed for tests to be carried out and the results to be critically interpreted in terms of streams.

In this way there has been a progressive refinement of the layout, during which the needs regarding flows have been brought together with all the others, such as the visibility of the stands, safety, etc.

Is it true that Euroluce will be in the dark?

Lorenzo Cavallero: “The sources of natural lighting will be darkened: it is a design element that Lombardini22 has carried forward through the involvement of the Lighting Design department on input from the exhibitors. They requested that their products be more valued and protected from light pollution.

How do flow theories relate to neuroscience?

Federica Sanchez: “Lombardini22's Tuned department has been dealing with neuroscience applied to architecture since 2014 with the goal of bringing man back to the center of the architectural project.

Regarding the applications of the flow theory , there are many researches that study the effects of spatial conformation on human perception, both in the field of environmental psychology and in the field of neuroscience.

Following the analyzes developed by applying the Space Syntax theories, it is possible to interpret the geometric data from a cognitive point of view. Through our training as architects and neuroscience researchers, we bring a new layer of understanding of the effects of space on human navigation.

Who does Tuned work with?

Federica Sanchez: "As a neuroscience department we carry out research and collaborations both with Lombardini22 business units and with external research centers, in order to explore topics to be applied daily in projects".

Could these studies show that some architectures are very wrong?

Federica Sanchez: “It could be, yes! But the important thing is that we begin to disseminate the results of the research, so as to not repeat the same mistakes. These programs confirm the designer's intuition with numbers: because we are talking about measurements".