LUCE estratti LUCE 324_Calatroni_Silvia Perego | Page 6

Anzini
1 | Villa Borromeo d'Adda, Arcore,
2017-2018. Cliente / Client: Atelier(s)
Alfonso Femia AF517
2 | Showlighting Padiglione Iran, Expo
2015. Cliente / Client: CM srl - Claudio
Mazzucchelli
3, 4 | Ingresso principale coperto / Main
canopy entrance Hotel Principe di
Savoia, Milano, 2017.
Cliente / Client: Dorchester Collection
3
4
Silvia Perego
I love darkness
F
or Silvia Perego, light is …
Listening. It is a silent process, made
of waiting, respect, observing, relating
with and for an architectural space.
It is the translation of the moment in which
the architect, the interior designer, the client
takes you inside their thoughts. It is a dialogue
that takes place with the space. For me,
light is a way to live each day near to
my greatest passion, architecture.
Where did you start, when you elaborated the
idea of light for the Iran pavilion at Expo 2015?
Persia tells us of a deep, ancient relation
with light. We listened to that world made
of elegance, textures, fabrics, shadows, liquid
elements and nature. We were only asked
for the show-lighting, and the magic of those
lands translated into light through a strong
dialogue with the architecture. Furthermore,
the project was characterized by a large use
of multimedia components (a remarkably
big LED wall stretched across the entire
pavilion). As a consequence, the contents
that were transmitted made light the key
element; depending on the image that was
displayed, new stories were created, hidden
suggestions emerged.
What do you think of urban lighting
in our cities?
I am always amazed when I fly over Europe
at night and I have a different perception of
urban settlements. In the countries in central
and northern Europe, everything is wrapped
in a warm delicate light, often surrounded by
darkness. Italy, instead, is like a neverending
luminous cobweb, with different shades of
colour. We are very technical. We comply with
the regulations, and this is correct. Yet I often
wonder how this prevents us from adding an
emotional value to the project. And all this
is not limited to the cities. My studio is on
the banks of river Ticino. Only in the evenings
and winter afternoons, when the fog surrounds
everything, an emotion is perceptible, and
the only visible lights are those reflected hazily
on the surface of the water. Usually everything
is coloured orange by the reflections of the
large beacon towers of Malpensa airport.
An opportunity forgotten and lost.
In the last issue of LUCE, Roger Narboni
spoke of the dark infrastructure and the
importance of darkness in the cities.
What is your opinion on this?
I love darkness. I believe it is necessary,
compatibly with the requirements of the law
and safety, to re-attribute a human dimension
to our cities. Today, thanks to technology,
perhaps it will be possible not only to save
energy but also to manage public lighting
according to real requirements, that evolve
rapidly, like the networks of our cities.
What fascinates me about cities at night time
are these large vertical surfaces which at times
are lit up, at times they are turned off,
depending on the need. They delicately
describe human life. As in The Empire of Light
by Magritte, through a lit up window we
communicate with the soul of our cities.
I think this analysis should be respected more.
Alfonso Femia recently said, “You cannot live
in a space that has a cold, indifferent light,
light is therapeutic, it is a companion,
it speaks to our body, to our soul.” What was
it like to work with him? Lighting buildings,
interiors or objects, following his projects
and materializing his thoughts.
Alfonso, is a Master for me. Quoting him,
work for him is “like being part of a crew,
made up of enthusiasm, horizons, dreams
and smiles.” Every project, every story, every
thought is a journey. The opportunity to be
able to learn from his language, from his
approach to projects, to talk to him and his
team in a peaceful atmosphere, is what
makes this work so fascinating.
As a teacher, what advice do you think you
can give a future lighting designer? And
in your role as a Counsellor at APIL (The Italian
Association of Lighting professionals)?
LIGHTING DESIGNERS / LUCE 324
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