Sidereal Station

On the occasion of this edition of FuoriSalone 2022, AMDL CIRCLE returns to collaborate with Whirlpool and participate in the exhibition-event “INTERNI Design Re-Generation” with an installation in the cloister of the University of Milan. Sidereal Station is a tall reflecting tower, characterised by a metallic gleam that seems to originate from the stars. Like a metaphorical telescope, the architecture points towards the sky seeking the future, thereby interpreting Whirlpool’s commitment in the search for a key to approach tomorrow, when domestic activities will be increasingly simplified by the advance of technologies and by the internet of things. Our homes will become “intelligent” places populated by interconnected, automated appliances. And Whirlpool wants to interpret this change by valuing the emotional qualities of environments and everyday objects, at the same time producing more leisure time for personal gratification. To do this, they are investigating how the future of domestic life and human behaviour may evolve. The Sidereal Station expresses this philosophy and aspires to convey the sense of the future: it is a tower to look upwards and imagine alternative visions of tomorrow. The Sidereal Station is located near the eastern side of the Cortile d’Onore, opposite the main entrance, and is clearly visible considering its 14 metres in height. Its troncoconical shape has come about through the use of a triangular construction module: grafted onto the metal skeleton are five levels of triangles in a gradually decreasing arrangement: the largest at the bottom, the smallest at the top. The prefabricated architecture is designed to be easily transported and rebuilt in other locations. The lightness that characterises the appearance of the tower is achieved thanks to the use of Alucobond Pure for the covering triangles, alternating with empty spaces of the same shape and dimensions. The finish chosen, pale and reflective, generates reflections that change with the variations in the light. Through the grids of the architecture the context, the sky and the motion of visitors permeate the Sidereal Station. The nighttime illumination is entrusted to RGB spotlights by Artemide, spread around at the base of the tower to create a colourful nighttime setting. The tower contains a small cylindrical functional unit inside it, which is a multimedia room. Access is gained via two ascending platforms to the internal environment, which is darkened thanks to a sound-absorbent curtain lining the perimeter walls. A video animation is projected onto the ceiling, which is designed as a screen: the gaze is instinctively drawn up to look at the images that pay homage to the beauty of our Planet, prompting us to think about a future of wellbeing and harmony. A circular route, which is formed in the cavity between the tower structure and the multimedia room, completes the experience.