LUCE estratti LUCE 322_Calatroni_Cino Zucchi | Page 8

commitment and effort, we were able to
convince the Town Council and the client that
the building was not only mimetic, but it also
acted as an environmental sculpture. Depending
on the light or the point of view, the structure
disappears. When the sun shines on the two long
walls of the building, one covered with natural
aluminium, the other with green aluminium,
an iridescent butterfly-wings effect is obtained.
An effect that does not enhance the colour,
but the coloured light that is reflected.
This building too is fascinating, because
the artificial object takes on the mutant
characteristics of a natural element. Like Boullée,
I do not believe in architecture that figuratively
imitates nature, even though with Salewa
we have come very close to it, but I believe
that architecture makes use of what nature
offers in its effects, not in its forms.
The landscape projects, as in San Donà di Piave
and Lugano are focussed on sewing together
human intervention and the relation between
artificial/natural light. Could you explain this
in greater detail?
With regard to the relation between
Magazzino automatizzato Pedrali / Pedrali Automated Warehouse, Mornico al Serio (BG), 2017
Parco pubblico / Public park, San Donà di Piave (VE), 2004-2007
to obtain some very theatrical light effects,
due to regulatory aspects regarding safety, it was
not possible. I believe that an architect is like
a cinema director, he must know enough about
light in order to talk to his director of
photography, and explain his ideas. I know
about lux and luminance, however with LED
technology the matter has become so complex
that the sophisticated knowledge of a lighting
designer is required. In some cases, I use my
knowledge to determine a particular effect and
perhaps rather empirically I am able to obtain it.
In other more complex projects the intervention
of a lighting professional is required. After all,
I am like a General Practitioner who reaches
a certain point and then asks for the help
of specialists, with humility, but having the
know-how that allows me to discuss the work
as equals.
natural/artificial light two quotes come to my
mind: the first by Le Corbusier; the second
by Gio Ponti, “architecture in the past was
a game of full and empty spaces under the light”
(Gio Ponti, In praise of architecture, 1957, Ed.).
We contemporary architects have passed from
a culture of plastic architecture, where the shade
was a principal effect, to one of the skin, where
the advent of electricity has led to an overturning
of full/empty spaces as in Mendelsohn. Artificial
lighting offers an infinite number of possibilities,
the more there are the greater amount of control
is required. The relation between natural/
artificial is a very interesting topic, the moment
of transition of the two, like a test, has always
fascinated me. Twilight in the city is a delicate
moment, of passing from one to the other,
and for a short while they coexist simultaneously,
I find these very fascinating moments. I have
patented San Donà di Piave as the first sun-
tanning project, with white stone covering the
pathways and hills that reflect the sunlight.
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In Lugano there is a play of effects, it marks
the passage from the dark tunnel to the light
outside. We used a simple technology, which
however had a very sophisticated tracking
of the gradient of the screen structure.
Is lighting in the buildings designed and
planned internally or is the work given
to a lighting designers? If so, what relations
are there with them?
Over the years I have collaborated with various
lighting designers, but mainly with Piero
Castiglioni. A lighting designer cannot always
be afforded, it also depends greatly on the client.
Sometimes the specific competence of a lighting
designer is necessary, in other cases we
collaborate with the lighting systems engineer.
Nowadays, even though I agree, the compulsory
certification becomes a very binding
requirement, if not an obsession that inhibits
project development. Take for example the
internal staircase at Lavazza, where I wanted
What do you think of urban lighting in our cities?
First of all, there is the very important topic of
urban security lighting. For example, the Dutch
landscape architect Petra Blaisse, who is working
at the Porta Nuova Park project in Milan, has
had to partly modify the project because
everything must be panoptic and anti-violence,
but also anti-kissing. I would like a lighting
control plan for the city, even though I
understand that not everything can be governed.
Like some excessively kitsch projects, as for
example the lighting at the Castello Sforzesco
some years ago. Urban lighting is a delicate topic,
where it is important to understand when to
speak and when to keep quiet.
Some ideas for your future projects?
There are many. Some that are initially for
a project can easily be used in another, ideas
come one after another constantly. During
these past months I have been taking my first
steps in the world of lighting design. We are
working on a project to make architecture
and design act together. This is not an easy
task, but ideas are constantly moving and
we will find a solution.