Supervoid Conceives Interactive Aluminum Pavilion for Premio Strega’s 80th Anniversary

Supervoid has unveiled an innovative exhibition pavilion designed to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Italy’s prestigious Premio Strega literary prize. Titled “Uno, Cinque, Dodici. Ottant’anni del Premio Strega,” the pavilion is envisioned as an autonomous “room within a room,” functioning as both an architectural intervention and an interactive exhibition device.

The pavilion meticulously stages the diverse environments and narratives that have shaped the history of the Premio Strega since its inception in 1947. At its core is an “ideal library” comprising over one thousand volumes, arranged chronologically to recount the events, key figures, controversies, and media coverage that have defined the prize’s seventy-nine editions.

A Room Within a Room

The exhibition design centers around a singular object placed at the heart of the space. This pavilion acts as a self-contained architectural element, capable of presenting the multifaceted history of the literary award. Its interiors are designed to evoke an intimate, domestic atmosphere, utilizing textile surfaces and muted colors reminiscent of the settings where the prize originated and the community that fostered it.

In contrast, the exterior presents an abstract and essential shell, specifically designed to showcase the books within a contemporary art museum context. This essentiality is enlivened by various elements that articulate the pavilion’s surfaces.

Interactive Elements and Materiality

Windows integrated into the pavilion’s facades open inwards, serving as interactive elements that respond to visitor engagement. The sequence of shortlisted and winning books is prominently displayed, with the covers of the winning volumes emerging from the aluminum planes. This introduces a visual dynamism and texture to the otherwise ordered composition, breaking the balance of abstraction and rarefied materiality with archival objects. The varied formats and designs of the book covers create a visual vibration within the structured whole.

This interplay between abstraction, delicate materiality, and archival objects effectively conveys the multiple dimensions of the Premio Strega: its nature as simultaneously private, public, and institutional.

Visitor Experience

The visitor’s journey through the exhibition is designed to be interactive. By opening the integrated windows inwards, visitors activate the pavilion, which in turn responds by reconfiguring itself into ever-changing states. This participatory approach fosters a direct connection between the display and the public, making the act of engagement a core part of the experience.

The project, conceived and produced by Fondazione Bellonci e Strega, was supported by the Assessorato alla Cultura di Roma Capitale and Azienda Speciale Palaexpo. Key collaborators include Davide Rapezzi, Giovanni Telve, and Giovanni Fabbri, with graphic design by Caneva-Nishimoto.

The pavilion’s design successfully merges display design, archival presentation, and architectural form into a cohesive structure. It highlights an ordered material composition that is intentionally interrupted by the graphic presence of the book covers, creating a unique balance between archival material and spatial installation. The exterior surfaces function as contemporary archival display systems, while the interior references historic literary settings through its material and color choices.

Why this matters for Paionia7 readers:
This project is relevant to our readers as it showcases an innovative approach to exhibition design within an architectural context. The pavilion by Supervoid demonstrates how architecture can serve not only as a physical space but also as a dynamic medium for storytelling and public engagement, particularly in celebrating cultural milestones like the anniversary of a significant literary prize. The integration of interactive elements and the thoughtful materiality underscore contemporary trends in design that emphasize user experience and the fusion of art, architecture, and archival content.

Datos clave
| Feature | Detail |
|—|—|
| Project Name | Uno, Cinque, Dodici. Ottant’anni del Premio Strega |
| Designer | Supervoid |
| Key Concept | “Room within a room” exhibition pavilion |
| Anniversary Celebrated | 80th of Premio Strega |
| Interactive Element | Inward-opening windows |

Fuente: designboom, https://www.designboom.com/art/movable-exhibition-displays-supervoid-aluminum-library-pavilion-premio-strega-prize/

Datos clave