LaFenice is the winning sculpture for the “Piazza della Memoria” in the form of highly polished stainless steel sculpture. This public art is dedicated to the people of the city of Messina, Sicily. It’s 4,1m high with three and a half highly reflective, slightly shifted double pyramids where each pyramid has transparent blue glass base, reflective at day and light-emitting at night. LaFenice generates a tension between gravity and the reminiscent feeling of growth as well as the upheaving flight of a bird.

Designer : Architecture and Vision

Arturo Vittori and Andreas Vogler explain that this sculpture is creating a connection between the earth and the sky, past and future, by reflecting the lights and the movements of the city. Its duality between static and dynamic are beautifully presented in this monolithic sculpture, it suggests a universal symbol between human life and culture. LaFenice presents the viewers an interesting play of reflection of lights and colors and also mirrors the elements that surround it, such as sky, sea, trees, buildings and the viewers themselves.”

“LaFenice” – ‘The Phoenix’ – recalls the story of the mythological bird, which is reborn out of his own ashes: a symbol of hope and renewal. The power of its message lives in the minds, hearts and souls of people. The reflective surfaces depict different moments of movement and light, becoming a kaleidoscope of the urban life of Messina and the innate human impulse to explore new horizons, past and future, to capture each element, from closest to the furthest, in a continuous search for a new insight and outlook.

The shape of the sculpture integrates with the existing kaleidoscope pattern of the square, forming an architectural unity. The square consists out of a grey and yellow lava stone pavement and the sculpture is surrounded by a transparent glass floor, which allows views to a lower level of the square, suggesting a view into the past, while at the same time reflecting the sculpture above, reaching into the sky, the future.

“LaFenice” is the first public sculpture by Arturo Vittori and Andreas Vogler, who have been previously showing the mobile pavilion “MercuryHouseOne” on the 53rd Art Biennale in Venice and built the 30m high “Macchina di Santa Rosa di Viterbo”, also a competition-winning design.

Design Team: Arturo Vittori and Andreas Vogler from Architecture and Vision

Collaboration: Simonetta D’Ottaviano, Lidija Jandric, Manuela Festa.

Engineering competition phase: Niccolo Baldassini, RFR Paris

Engineering Execution phase: Ingg. Gaetano Orlandi, Gabriele Ferro

Client: Comune di Messina, Ufficio Programmi Complessi

Steel Construction: Inox Style S.r.l., Torgiano

Glass: La Corte S.n.c., Montefiascone

Foundations: Demoter S.p.a., Messina

Electrical: Impianti elettrici CF S.n.c., Montefiascone

Tuvie has received this “LaFenice” project from our ‘Submit A Design‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their design/concept for publication.