The latest issue of Domus is out now, offering an in-depth look at current trends in architecture and design, with a particular focus on social dynamics and the crucial need for sustainability.
Domus 1102 hits the shelves
The June issue of Domus, curated by Bjarke Ingels, focuses on wood as a key material for the architecture of the future. It also features a reflection on the Venice Biennale curated by Carlo Ratti and thoughts on nature, technology, and new ways of living.
Curated By Filippo Cartapani, Shane Dalke
Text Lindsey Wikstrom
Curated by Filippo Cartapani, Shane Dalke
Text Shigeru Ban
Curated by Filippo Cartapani, Shane Dalke
Text Lucas Epp
Interview Bjarke Ingels with Chris Precht
Text Sou Fujimoto
Text Sou Fujimoto
Text Jacques Herzog, Pierre de Meuron
Text Jonas Elding, Johan Oscarson
Text Sigurd Larsen
Text Kersten Geers, David Van Severen
Text Guillermo Acuña
Text Christian Wassmann
Monica Steffensen
Text Peter Marigold Foto Nacasa & Partners
Text Onno Adriaanse FotoOnno Adriaanse
Text Ferruccio Laviani
Text Chris Kenny
Text Bjarke Ingels
Text Bjarke Ingels
Text Walter Mariotti
Text Walter Mariotti
Text Valentina Petrucci
Text Francesco Franchi
Text Alessandro Benetti
Text Alberto Mingardi
Text Silvana Annicchiarico
Text Roberto Battiston
Text Stefano Mancuso
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- La redazione di Domus
- 09 June 2025
At the heart of this exploration is the 19th Venice International Architecture Exhibition, “Intelligens. Naturale. Artificiale. Collettiva.” (Intelligent. Natural. Artificial. Collective.), curated by Carlo Ratti. Editorial Director Walter Mariotti sits down with Ratti to discuss his Biennale, which serves as a fundamental call to rethink our built environment in a more inclusive and synergistic way, moving beyond the idea of the architect as the sole creator. In this context, the climate challenge is tackled with forward-thinking adaptation strategies, brought to life in innovative projects that blend technology and nature, charting new creative paths for a field steeped in history. This vision of profound renewal extends into every corner of our lives.
Paul Smith, in “Luoghi comuni” (Common Places), reflects on the dignity of doors as expressions of creativity. Meanwhile, Valentina Petrucci and Vittorio V. Alberti, in “La mia città” (My City), delve into the distinction between “urbs” (the physical city) and “civitas” (the community), urging us to reconnect with humanistic thought and the bond between beauty and justice—essential elements for an authentic society and urban environment, protected from a “cultural corruption” that even affects contemporary art. Well-being and health play a central role: Francesco Franchi, in “Grafica” (Graphics), highlights the link between physical activity (especially cycling) and dementia prevention, a topic reinforced by initiatives like “Bike for Brain Health.” The importance of community and an inclusive approach also shapes the work of Signe Byrdal Terenziani, organizer of Copenhagen's “3daysofdesign” festival, who has created a platform for sharing knowledge and promoting sustainability in design.
Diving deeper into the relationship between intelligence and environment, Alessandro Benetti, in “Natura” (Nature), introduces Stefano Mancuso's research on plant intelligence, redefining our connection with the plant world and suggesting a deep partnership between nature and technology. This principle of harmony and adaptation also sheds light on complex issues like housing poverty: Alberto Mingardi, in “Elogio del lusso” (In Praise of Luxury), offers a hopeful perspective on the progress being made in global informal settlements. The discussion then broadens to memories of conflict and the role of art: Paola Carimati, in “La guerra è finita?” (Is the War Over?), explores how art can represent trauma and celebrate human resilience. Innovation takes tangible form in projects that bridge past and future, such as the Norman Foster Foundation and Porsche's Venetian installation, “Gateway to Venice’s Waterway,” a manifesto for new sustainable mobility.
In product design, Silvana Annicchiarico, in “Talenti” (Talents), introduces Federico Fiermonte and his “Echo” bookshelf, which harmonizes Nordic precision with Mediterranean flair. The ability to harness natural resources proves crucial: Roberto Battiston, in “Intelligenza del clima” (Climate Intelligence), champions solar energy as a way to break free from fossil fuels, while Marco Pierini, in “Il museo di domani” (The Museum of Tomorrow), argues that museums are “vital centers” for cities, regenerating urban and social fabric. The wisdom of those who came before us and the pursuit of innovative solutions guide the way: Mariotti pays tribute to Cesare Maria Casati, a prominent figure and former director of Domus.
Design experimentation continues with Konstantin Grcic's “25kg” project, which challenges conventions with essential objects. Reflection on living even extends beyond our planet: Valentina Sumini, in “Architettura dello spazio” (Space Architecture), shows how space exploration helps us refine our ability to improve life on Earth. Within this framework, sustainability emerges as both an ethical and strategic imperative: Walter Mariotti interviewed Lorenzo Bertelli of Prada, who, in “Sostenibilità” (Sustainability), explains how the “Sea Beyond” project demonstrates the brand's commitment to promoting ocean education. All these contributions converge on a unifying message: the future is built through curiosity, collaboration, and a deep understanding of multiple intelligences, all aimed at forging a more equitable and truly livable world for everyone.
After the diary sections, we dive into the core narrative around materials, a section guest-edited by Bjarke Ingels, who introduces an exploration dedicated to wood. This material, deeply rooted in history, is currently experiencing an extraordinary resurgence, redefining both architecture and design. Ingels, in his piece “Legno” (Wood), reminds us that before stone, it was the first material shaped by human ingenuity. Today, thanks to innovative composites and automated milling machines, wood is an invaluable ally for sustainable building, boasting a negative carbon footprint. Filippo Cartapani and Shane Dalke, with “Plasma l'architettura da sempre” (It Has Always Shaped Architecture), illustrate how wood has molded architecture across all latitudes, adapting to climates and cultures with remarkable versatility.
Lindsey Wikstrom, in “Prepariamoci a città fondate sulle piante” (Let's Prepare for Plant-Based Cities), explores the responsibility of modern construction, highlighting how the intelligent and sustainable use of wood can reduce environmental impact and improve forest health. Shigeru Ban, in “Architetto della carta, architetto del legno” (Paper Architect, Wood Architect), shares his experience in the innovative use of natural materials, demonstrating how his ingenuity can be applied to wood to create complex structures. Lucas Epp, in “Natura, artigianato, struttura” (Nature, Craft, Structure), emphasizes how wood's resurgence is tied to engineered products and digital fabrication, urging us to envision a future where wood is a fundamental element of integrated ecosystems.
The new frontiers of wood are showcased in emblematic projects. An interview with Chris Precht in “Studio Precht” reveals his passion for wood, rooted in Alpine tradition, expressed in future-oriented architectures that celebrate aging and history. Sou Fujimoto, in “Il cerchio del legno” (The Wood Circle), presents the monumental Grand Ring for Expo 2025 in Osaka, one of the largest wooden structures in the world, symbolizing unity in diversity. Kengo Kuma, with “Legno massiccio in rotazione” (Rotating Solid Wood), brings a cross-laminated timber building to Kibi Kogen N Square that creates dynamic spaces. Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, in “Natura e legno per guarire” (Nature and Wood for Healing), demonstrate how wood can soften the sterile atmosphere of a children's hospital.
Elding Oscarson, with “Guscio lamellare” (Laminated Shell), presents the Wisdome, an extension of Stockholm's Tekniska Museet, which merges digital technology and prefabrication. Wood's extraordinary versatility is also evident in projects of various scales and functions: Sigurd Larsen, in “Angoli visivi” (Visual Angles), proposes the Lake House, a wellness center that seamlessly blends with the landscape; Guillermo Acuña, with “Una cornice nella foresta” (A Frame in the Forest), showcases Casa Detif in Chile, a prefabricated home gently nestled into its surroundings; and Christian Wassmann, in “La casa intorno alla roccia” (The House Around the Rock), presents the Rock'n'House, a habitable observatory integrated with its natural context. The intrinsic relationship between nature and wood is elevated to an art form and a philosophical reflection. Monica Steffensen, in “Percepire la natura” (Perceiving Nature), encourages a sensory experience with wood, a living material. Artist Peter Marigold, with “Spaccare il legno” (Splitting Wood), highlights the primal act of wood splitting, creating rich surfaces. Ferruccio Laviani, in “Un disturbo digitale in un mobile classico” (A Digital Disturbance in a Classic Furniture Piece), explores the interaction between machine and wood in projects like “Good Vibrations.” Wood is also a central player in the work of Giuseppe Penone, who in “Per fare un albero” (To Make a Tree) carves and sculpts beams to reveal the “fossilized” form of the tree. Finally, Chris Kenny, with “Ramoscelli animati” (Animated Twigs), creates delicate sculptures where nature and artist collaborate.
In closing, Bjarke Ingels returns in “Futuro antico” (Ancient Future) to reflect on the “city of awareness” in Bhutan. The Gelephu airport, built entirely from solid wood, is a tangible example of how architecture can be both deeply rooted in tradition and boldly forward-looking. The very cover of the issue, a Dinesen oak board with a skillfully mended crack, celebrates the beauty of imperfections and masterful craftsmanship. Wood, in all its infinite expressions, thus solidifies its role as the unifying language, capable of connecting the digital and the natural, the ancient and the new, offering a key to a more sustainable and authentic future. Happy reading!
Wood has shaped architecture across time and geography, adapting to climate, culture and craft. In Asia, it supported soaring temples and imperial palaces; in Europe, it framed humble homes and vernacular dwellings. In alpine regions, wood was prized for insulation and availability; in seismic zones, for its flexibility and resilience. From ancient carpentry to contemporary engineered timber, each innovation has redefined what wood can do – technically, symbolically and structurally. As construction evolves, these layered histories continue to inform new possibilities in building with wood.
No matter the material, modern construction has both destructive and restorative effects. Buildings constantly demand new materials, which means the production, transformation and transportation of matter from one place to another. Modern mineral materials tend to deteriorate the environment of one place while improving the quality of life in another. But it hasn’t always been this way. Forests and cities were once co-located and co-designed as part of the same carbon cycle, enhancing each other and keeping each other alive.
Forests cover nearly a third of Earth’s land surface, forming complex biomes that vary by latitude and elevation – boreal, temperate and tropical. These vast ecosystems host most of the planet’s terrestrial biodiversity and play a critical role in regulating climate and storing carbon. While Europe holds the largest share of global forest area, South America boasts the highest percentage of forest cover. Yet these living systems remain vulnerable to extraction, fragmentation and accelerated change.
I am sometimes called a “paper architect”. The term more commonly refers to architects like John Hejduk, my former professor at The Cooper Union, whose legacy includes visionary unbuilt work.
The character of wood begins in the tree. Hardwoods, which come from broad-leaved deciduous species, are dense and durable – favoured for furniture, flooring and refined construction. Softwoods, drawn from fast-growing conifers, are generally lighter and easier to work, forming the backbone of framing, panelling and everyday structures. Seen in cross-section, each log reveals its own logic: growth rings, pores and fibre patterns that reflect species, age and climate.
Rise, fall, resurgence Although timber is one of humanity’s oldest building materials, its use has ebbed and flowed over the millennia. Wherever forests sat near skill centres, timber leapt ahead: the Tang dynasty carpenters perfected the earthquake resilient dougong, and the fine craftsmen of Hōryū-ji Temple whittled some of the first woodto-wood joinery – time-proof through the centuries.
From their all-timber studio in the Austrian Alps, which they created themselves, the Austro-Chinese duo conceives projects that pay particular attention to the material of wood, combining vernacular tradition and experimentation.
Built with a gridded structure connected by traditional Japanese joints known as nuki, the Grand Ring is the world’s largest wooden building.
In the Kibi Kogen N Square coworking space and cafe, the volumes built with structural X-lam panels are stacked in a misaligned arrangement. This creates a variety of spaces and openings, as well as a series of different and dynamic views.
At the University Children’s Hospital Zurich, wood softens the atmosphere of a clinical environment, while a series of richly planted internal courtyards amplify its benefits.
The new auditorium and event space at the Tekniska Museet, which connects two previously separate wings of the museum, was built using cross-laminated timber and laminated veneer lumber, combining high-precision digital processes with prefabrication.
The Lake House is composed of five separate and interlocking timber structures that house a wellness retreat and blend into the forest and lake landscape.
Elegant and minimalist, 25 Columns reinterprets the five points of Le Corbusier’s manifesto and the guiding principles of the Californian Case Study Houses with the warm, traditional material of wood.
Immersed in the tropical vegetation, Casa Detif was assembled in a very short time frame, using local pine precut with CNC routers
Built around an ice age boulder, Rock’n’House is both a habitable observatory made of prefabricated wood and a solar power station
Wood is a living material. It holds the story of time of soil, of climate, of season. In architecture and design, it brings warmth, depth and a quiet, tactile presence. Wood has the power to shape spaces that feel both grounded and uplifting places that breathe with those who live in them. Its surface responds to light in subtle, shifting ways; even in a photograph, one can sense the grain, texture and temperature of the wood.
The Cleft furniture series highlights the spectacular gesture of cleaving wood, creating a rich, decorative surface that emphasises the grain and knots.
Three collections embrace the characteristics of wood as a living and therefore unpredictable material: Hedera is inspired by climbing plants, Dawn plays with colour gradients and fading, while Timber reveals the natural origins of knots and grain
Good Vibrations combines digital technology, craftsmanship and the timeless material of wood.
Delicate sculptures made of twigs, the works in the Twigs series establish a partly spontaneous collaboration between nature and the artist.