For the Sette Green Awards, 23BASSI is designing a dematerialized dome made entirely of bamboo in the atrium of the Triennale di Milano: a temporary, lightweight, and permeable structure conceived to honor Italian leaders in sustainability.
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A dome that doesn’t close, a structure that seems to dissolve, and a single natural material: in the atrium of the Triennale di Milano, the installation for the Sette Green Awards transforms a gesture of gratitude into a temporary, light, and symbolic work of architecture.
In the grand atrium of the Triennale di Milano—a monumental, open space constantly bustling with people—the project for the 2014 Sette Green Awards emerged from a simple gesture: transforming an expression of gratitude into architecture. Not a backdrop for the awards ceremony, nor merely a decoration added to the hall, but an installation capable of symbolically embracing all those who, through their ideas and projects, had contributed to improving our relationship with the environment.
The central element of the installation is a surreal dome, made entirely of bamboo. A dome that does not enclose, separate, or create a true interior: its form is suggested by the repetition of the elements, their rhythm, and the overall curvature. The material defines the volume without filling it, transforming a traditionally solid and monumental architectural form into a light, transparent, and almost dematerialized presence.
Bamboo is not used merely as a naturalistic reference. It becomes the structure, texture, and language of the design. The repetition of the bamboo poles creates a three-dimensional pattern that changes constantly depending on the viewer’s perspective: from a distance, the dome appears as a unified form; as one approaches, the delicacy of the elements, the intersections, and the empty spaces come into view.
Light passes through the structure and alters its density, creating shadows and overlaps. The installation therefore does not appear as a static object, but as a form that changes as you move through it: at times compact, at times almost invisible. A small architectural structure capable of being present without completely occupying the space.
The decision to work with an incomplete form is also a design statement. Sustainability is not conveyed through didactic symbols, green leaves, or added messages, but through architecture that minimizes the use of materials and relies largely on empty space to create its effect. The dome exists because the visitor reconstructs it with their gaze: it is present and, at the same time, seems on the verge of disappearing.
Situated in the Triennale’s atrium, the installation engages with the scale and symmetry of the Palazzo dell’Arte without attempting to compete with them. It responds to the mass of the existing walls and cladding with a temporary, permeable structure; it contrasts the space’s rigorous geometry with the natural, slightly irregular rhythm of bamboo.
The result is a focal point visible from the building’s various pathways, yet one that preserves the visual continuity of the atrium. The structure does not interrupt the space; rather, it frames it, highlights it, and provides a new center around which to organize the event.
The structure also becomes a place for interaction. It does not designate a main façade nor does it impose a single way of viewing it: visitors can walk through it, walk alongside it, or discover it gradually. During the ceremony, it creates a recognizable space where people can meet, linger, and share in the experience of the awards ceremony.
Temporary architecture thus takes on the role of a threshold and a symbolic shelter, built not solely to celebrate a winner, but to bring together a community of people, companies, and projects united by their commitment to the environment. This was precisely the stated purpose of the installation: to thank those who, through their commitment and dedication, had contributed to improving the planet.
The fourth edition of the Sette Green Awards took place at the Triennale di Milano on December 2, 2014, and honored Italian excellence in seven categories dedicated to sustainability. The installation by 23BASSI complemented this event with a design language consistent with the initiative’s themes: few elements, a material that is immediately recognizable, and a form capable of transforming an environmental theme into a spatial experience.
The project demonstrates how even a short-term installation can create a powerful image and leave a lasting impression. Its effectiveness does not stem from an accumulation of objects or technology, but from the clarity of a single idea carried through to the end: taking one of architecture’s most archetypal forms, stripping it of its weight, and reconstructing it using a natural material.
A dome that’s almost invisible, yet still manages to define a space. Because sometimes, the best way to thank those who strive to make the planet a better place is to let architecture create space.
Corriere della Sera – “Environmental Oscars Presented at the Triennale”
LifeGate – “Seven Green Awards 2014”
Photographs: Marco Curatolo
