MAD architects brings ethereal, AR-powered cube installation to milan design week

‘momentum’ by MAD architects 

As if balancing on one of its tips, ready to fall over, ‘Momentum’ stuns visitors with its ethereal skin, impressive scale, and AR-powered design. Taking over Milan’s Statala University, this large cube installation by MAD architects is one of the many must-see creations exhibited at this year’s Salone del Mobile.

‘During this, MAD’s fourth-time participation in Milan Design Week with the main installation, the works brought have been accompanied by a breakthrough of boundaries and the integration of diverse arts. Moreover, with the end of the COVID pandemic, we’ve placed more consideration on communication and the interchange of multiculturalism,’ writes the practice. MAD Architects’ past work at Milan Design Week includes ‘Invisible Border’ (2016), ‘Fifth Ring’ (2018), and ‘Freedom’ (2021).

image © Moreno Maggi | all courtesy MAD architects

an ever-changing art installation powered by ar 

The team at MAD Architects joined forces with Interni and Axa Immobiliare Alts. to bring ‘Momentum’ to life, seeking to freeze the moment of art creation with the simplest cube shape charged with incredibly rich visual and conceptual expressions. As MAD’s lead architect Ma Yansong explains: ‘With this form, the installation hopes to evoke the solidification and refinement of time.’

During the daytime, the installation’s skin reflects the surrounding environment of the Statale University courtyard, becoming an ever-changing art form of its own. As night falls, and ‘Momentum’ returns to its transparent and ethereal nature, a lighting design by Luce & Light transforms the cube into a striped, glowing lantern — giving it a new character and opening up new ‘dimensions’ of exploration.

Beyond its sculptural aesthetics, ‘Momentum’ also skillfully integrates new technologies. Indeed, MAD Architects leveraged the power of Augmented Reality (AR) to offer visitors a more immersive artistic experience. By scanning a QR code on Instagram, users enjoy ‘fantastical visual art, becoming creators themselves‘. 

‘Momentum’ lights up at night | image © Andrea d’Antrassi

an ever-changing skin | image © Moreno Maggi

during the day, the skin turns reflective | image © Moreno Maggi

project info:

name: Momentum 

location: Statale University, Milan, Italy 

architecture: MAD Architects | @madarchitects 

collaborators: Interni, Axa Immobiliare Alts

design team: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano, Andrea D’Antrassi

engineering: Maco Technology srl, Roberto Maffei

lighting design: Luce & Light

motion design: Studio AIRA

fog effect: Nephos

photography: Moreno Maggi | @moreno_maggi_, Andrea D’Antrassi, Matteo Vercelloni

dimensions: 8 x 8 x 12.5 m

materials: P.A.T.I. ETFE polymer