The ‘Cabina Dell'Elba’, created in 1982 by the Italian architect and designer Aldo Rossi is an ode to fleeting time and freedom. Reminding us of summer, the beach hut-inspired wardrobe is simple and universal, resonating with Rossi’s vision of designing an interior space that harmoniously coexists with the outside.
‘They appeared to me as a minimal dimension of living, an impression of summer,’ wrote Rossi in his Autobiografia Scientifica. ‘I had simply noticed the peculiarity and universality of the huts on the beaches. Not only on Elba. But seeing is not enough: you have to watch till you take possession of the image and through the image of the thing.’ Taking ownership of the beach hut as an image, but more importantly as an object, absorbing it and repurposing it, Rossi’s ‘Cabina’ shifts from a temporary item into an enduring one, inhabiting our homes.
After 40 years since its creation, Milanese gallery Antonia Jannone Disegni di Architettura presents ‘Aldo Rossi. Cabina dell'Elba’, an exhibition entirely dedicated to the transient yet lasting beach hut/domestic wardrobe (mine is blue and pink, and works as a food storage cupboard in the kitchen).
Rossi’s drawings and studies of the ‘Cabina dell’Elba’ will be accompanied by an edition of nine miniature cabins especially made for the show and reproduced according to the study model made by Bruno Longoni furniture atelier, which produced the wardrobes, together with Rossi. ‘It is always a great emotion for me to deal with the work of Aldo Rossi. I feel a strong connection to the “Cabina dell'Elba” project, because I had the opportunity to meet Aldo on the island [of Elba]. Rossi is a unique, interesting and very communicative designer,’ says the gallerist Antonia Jannone. ‘I hope with my re-editions to come just a little closer to the beauty he was capable of.’
‘Aldo Rossi. La Cabina dell'Elba’ is on view until 29 December 2022 at Antonia Janonne Disegni di Architettura
Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi, 125
Milan
-
Pharrell Williams’ latest Louis Vuitton show celebrates a ‘friendship for life’ with streetwear legend NigoLouis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell Williams looked towards his long friendship with BAPE founder Nigo to create a collaborative A/W 2025 menswear collection shown in Paris this evening (21 January 2025)
-
Think small, think electric, as Hyundai attempts to revolutionise the classic Indian three-wheelerHyundai’s Micro Mobility strategy, in collaboration with Indian manufacturer TVS, has revealed two conceptual takes on small electric urban transport in a bid to cut the country’s crushing pollution issue
-
‘Just beneath the surface there’s another world’: How David Lynch used hair and make-up to create his singular universeFrom Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive to Twin Peaks, David Lynch used hair and make-up in his films as a narrative device, writes Laura Havlin
-
Vincent Van Duysen reimagines a historic palazzo for Molteni&C in MilanMolteni&C teases images of Palazzo Molteni, a sprawling and immersive new design destination in Milan, ahead of its official opening in April
-
New exhibition, ‘Architecture for Dogs' celebrates the human-canine bondAs a showcase of designs for dogs opens in Milan, we find out why inviting our four-legged friends into exhibitions benefits everybody.
-
The future of Salone del Mobile: new report quantifies impact of the world's biggest furniture fairFor the first time, Salone del Mobile reports on its size and impact. ‘Milan Design (Eco) System’ puts Salone into numbers, allowing its future and challenges to be addressed
-
Gather round: ‘Inequalities’ symposium at the Triennale MilanoAhead of the 24th International exhibition at the Triennale Milano next year, 26 leading thinkers, curators and activists unpicked the theme ‘Inequalities’
-
Massimo Giorgetti’s new rug collection takes Milan’s 1960s metro system as a departure pointFashion designer Massimo Giorgetti has designed a rug collection for CC-Tapis inspired by curving metal tubes that run along metro station staircases
-
Design showcase Alcova announces its 2025 locations in MilanAlcova, the roving design exhibition, will expand its footprint with two new locations in the northern Milan suburb of Varedo – a former factory and ancient greenhouses
-
Elevate your interiors with Wallpaper* July 2024, the Design DirectoryWallpaper* July 2024 rounds up the best new furniture, lighting, kitchens, bathrooms and more – on sale now
-
Meridiani House in Milan is a showroom that feels like homeThe newly styled Meridiani House at Milan’s Corso Venezia 29 is conceived as an elegant living space specific to its local context
