Leisure

The 13th edition of the Triennale di Milano, recognised by the BIE on 12 November 1963, took place during a period of transition between two eras. Organised under the overall theme of “Leisure”, the 1964 edition of the Triennale was developed by Umberto Eco and Vittorio Gregotti.

Particular prominence was given to the contributions of front-rank artists and young exponents of the new avant-garde. At the entrance to the Palazzo dell’Arte, designed by Massimo Vignelli, the visitor encountered eight “conduits” before arriving at the main staircase. The introductory route was concluded by the kaleidoscope, a long corridor with a hexagonal cross section designed by Peppe Brivio and the Gregotti-Meneghetti-Stoppino studio. Two documentaries by the young film director Tinto Brass were projected onto the walls of the corridor.

The Italian section, prepared by Aulenti and Aymonino, among others, made free use of works of art and mass-produced objects to construct a hyper-realistic theatre of the contemporary.

Aldo Rossi and Luca Meda abandoned the Parco Sempione and ventured in the opposite direction. An iron bridge with a triangular section emerged from the building’s portico, crossing the avenue to lead to the Cyclopean Walls, a structure built out of massive concrete blocks that consisted of a sequence of eight enclosures. It featured experimental constructions dedicated to the theme of the house and leisure facilities.