Non-inflammable PVC  5x3 m  15.0 m2

 

J. W. Goethe is travelling in Italy. On his arrival in Rome, he stops at the foot of the slopes of Monte Mario. He pulls out his home from his rucksack. This is a transparent, plastic structure. He begins to inflate it and the house takes shape. Inside he places all the comforts a traveller needs. Once he has completed the operation, he decides to sit on the sofa, also transparent, and admire the Roman landscape before him. “This is something we never see as it really is. However, we dress it with a delicate, spiritual veil and this is what we then see. The sensations transmitted reawaken in the presence of these phenomena of nature.” Perception travels through the colours, lights, shadows. The hazy clarity contained within the walls enwraps the landscape, removes its outlines, shapes and lines with their unceasing movements, thus making the veil of nature pure and transparent.

The completely transparent structure follows the shape of a traditional house, based on the principle of modular design. In fact, it consists of three inflatable parts, three shells measuring 2.5 m wide, 2.3 m high and 2 m deep. The modules are fastened to the ground via a system of steel platforms, which are assembled together via zips placed so water cannot penetrate inside the space. Once the length of the house has been decided, each module is completed with infill panels, in which a window or a door can be cut as required. These final elements guarantee ventilation inside the space and feature a system of lateral zip closures. We are thinking of placing inflatable, transparent furniture inside the structure to complete the project: armchairs, sofas, bed, tables, etc.Electricity will be guaranteed by applying amorphous silicon modules on the south-facing surface via a system of zips, which will have to be factory made. The amorphous silicon will be flexible and a study will have to take into account the position of the storage battery. Special expedients will be devised to hide the junction box and the outlet cables towards the storage battery.

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Year: 2002

Architect: Anna Rita Emili

Engineer: Marco Vailati

Collaborator: Jo Fonti

Contractor: Plastico Milan

Photos: Emanuele Piccardo, Anna Rita Emili