A wide interior shot of the Voce listening room, demonstrating spatial symmetry and the vivid color palette. The floor is anchored by a checkerboard arrangement of emerald green modular chairs, facing a centered wall of audio equipment. The repetition of white columns and continuous ceiling lighting creates a visually clean, Minimalist corridor effect leading to the focal sound installation.

Triennale Milano’s Park-Level Revival by Luca Cipelletti

Words by Eric David

Milan, Italy

Few cultural institutions capture the spirit and evolution of Italian design as completely as Triennale Milano. Founded a century ago as a platform for progressive architecture and applied arts, it has grown into a multidisciplinary hub where design engages with the wider questions of contemporary life. The recently completed Piano Parco renovation project, part of a wider redevelopment of the Palazzo dell’Arte, Triennale’s home since 1933, encapsulates this ongoing dialogue between heritage and innovation.

Encompassing 2,300 square metres of park-level interiors and 7,300 square metres of gardens, the project breathes new life into Giovanni Muzio’s Novecento landmark. Led by Luca Cipelletti, founder of AR.CH.IT and Architectural Director of the Palazzo dell’Arte since 2019, the transformation introduces a new restaurant and café, a dedicated music space, and a children’s play area, each carefully conceived to honour Muzio’s original vision while addressing contemporary needs for accessibility, sustainability, and cultural exchange.

A glimpse of the outdoor seating terrace, captured between the massive stone pillar of the building and the lush park beyond. Dark, simple tables and chairs with a Minimalist profile extend onto the paved terrace. The backdrop is a densely wooded area with surreal, colorful, large-scale sculptural forms visible on the lawn, contrasting the interior's refinement with artistic curiosity.

Cucina Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

An exterior view of the Voce entrance, blending historical Brutalist concrete and red brick with contemporary signage. A prominent neon sign spells out "TRIENNALE VOCE" in a warm, glowing orange script, contrasting the rough facade. Below, grid-paned metal doors, slightly ajar, reveal a hint of the interior's modern lighting, suggesting an immersive experience within.

Voce Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

An expansive Minimalist exhibition gallery defined by high ceilings, white columns, and pale stone flooring. Symmetrical olive-green modular sofas flank the central axis, creating informal viewing islands. The atmosphere is quiet and expansive, focusing attention on scattered Midcentury-Modern furniture and framed artworks displayed along the walls in the distance.

At the restaurant’s threshold, a collection of iconic pieces by Tacchini, upholstered in Dedar fabrics, creates a liminal zone between the dining and exhibition: a soft landing between the everyday and the cultural. © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

At the heart of the restoration lies Cucina Triennale, the institution’s new restaurant and café, which occupies the same three rooms Muzio originally envisioned for hospitality. Cipelletti’s design balances historical reverence with present-day precision, employing a lens of crisp minimalism that underscores the building’s geometric clarity. Examples include the original rhomboid ceiling which has been meticulously restored and illuminated, the industrial oak floors, and six boiserie niches which have been refurbished with battened oak panels, reinstating the rhythm of Muzio’s original composition.

Artworks by contemporary Italian artist Alberto Garutti further echo the building’s rationalist heritage as do custom furnishings manufactured by UniFor. The tables reinterpret Gigiotti Zanini’s original 1933 design, their Fenix tops rendered in shades of white, blush, and pistachio offering a contemporary twist on classic forms. Slender, stackable chairs by Marco Maturo of Studio Klass complement the tables’ clean lines, while navy banquettes and retractable sage-hued curtains, that echo the Cipollino marble of Muzio’s porticos, introduce subtle tonal variations.

An atmospheric, vertical composition showcasing the restaurant's distinct spatial design. A floor-to-ceiling deep green curtain acts as a textured divider and visual anchor. The warm wood floor leads toward a bright gallery space with the bold "Cucina Triennale" typography. Foreground tables feature vermillion laminate tops, adding a vibrant, retro-inspired color block against the white and dark wood.

Cucina Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio. Courtesy of Galleria Massimo Minini abd Studio Alberto Garutti.

A symmetrical composition highlighting the space's color-blocked intensity. The room is filled with dining sets featuring dark chairs with sage green cushions and tables with vivid vermillion red laminate tops. A large, pale grid artwork is framed centrally between two dramatic green curtains, all set beneath the strong lines of the coffered ceiling structure.

Cucina Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio. Courtesy of Galleria Massimo Minini abd Studio Alberto Garutti.

A highly symmetrical, head-on view of the dining hall, emphasizing the repetition of geometric forms. The foreground features tables with pale mint-green tops and dark chairs, leading to a central navy and light-blue upholstered banquette. The composition is anchored by a large, pale, gridded artwork, framed by the two sage green curtain drops beneath the rhythmic ceiling architecture.

Cucina Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio. Courtesy of Galleria Massimo Minini abd Studio Alberto Garutti.

This long-view reveals a rhythmic sequence of dining arrangements under an architecturally detailed ceiling. Neo-Classical arches are hinted at by the vertical window recesses, contrasted by the modern, crisscross-patterned coffered ceiling. Rows of dark chairs with green upholstery and pale tables lead the eye down the sunlit hall, defined by a single, dramatic sage curtain on the left.

Cucina Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

A wide-angle interior view contrasting dining and gallery spaces. A large gridded artwork above low seating dominates the left, while a tall green curtain separates the main floor from a bright, uncluttered hallway. The geometric coffered ceiling draws focus toward the back, where a black and white minimal artwork suggests the fusion of restaurant design with the museum's artistry.

Cucina Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio. Courtesy of Galleria Massimo Minini abd Studio Alberto Garutti.

  • A composition uniting the dining area and the display counter, separated by a heavy, sage green curtain. In the foreground, dark wood chairs with pale blue-green seats frame a partial view of a gridded artwork. Beyond the curtain, the bar area features vintage-retro dark wood slatting and mirrored shelves showcasing colorful jars.

    Cucina Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio. Courtesy of Galleria Massimo Minini abd Studio Alberto Garutti.

  • A detail shot emphasizing the contrasting palette and geometric forms. A dark, angular wooden chair with a sage green seat cushion sits beside a small table with a bold, vermillion red laminate top and chrome base. Above, a sharp, two-tone black and white mirrored artwork introduces a striking Brutalist or geometric abstraction against the pristine white wall.

    Cucina Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio. Courtesy of Galleria Massimo Minini abd Studio Alberto Garutti.

  • A detailed view of a service or display counter blending vintage-retro formality with sharp lines. The unit features vertical, dark brown wood slat paneling, illuminated glass shelves holding colorful confectionery, and a stark white counter base. The juxtaposition of the dark wood texture with the bright white walls and vermillion foreground table creates a sophisticated, graphic focal point.

    Cucina Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

A Minimalist cafe interior at Triennale Milano defined by clean white walls, warm wood flooring, and pops of deep sage green in the heavy curtains and chair upholstery. The composition is balanced by a geometric artwork centered on the wall, flanked by tall curtained openings that connect the refined interior to the outside park. The furniture's dark wood and pale tables reinforce the midcentury-modern influence.

Cucina Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio. Courtesy of Galleria Massimo Minini abd Studio Alberto Garutti.

An expansive view of the Triennale Garden, anchored by colossal, dark green cedar trees against a bright sky. In the foreground lawn are colorful, playful Artistic sculptures—a yellow cavern entrance, a stylized swan, and a miniature hut—creating a whimsical contrast beneath the natural majesty of the towering foliage.

Giardino Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

This pared-down elegance not only reinforces the Palazzo dell’Arte’s architectural language but also allows the expansive views of the Giancarlo De Carlo Garden, and in particular Giorgio De Chirico’s Mysterious Baths fountain, to takes centre stage. Created in 1973 for the 15th Triennale di Milano, De Chirico’s sculpture is a surreal ensemble featuring a rainbow-hued swan, swimming torsos, and a colourful beach ball. Now fully visible thanks to the reconfigured gardens, the fountain reclaims its role as a whimsical counterpoint to the building’s formal austerity.

A relaxed scene in the Midcentury-Modern influenced dining hall, demonstrating spatial flow between bright windows and a dark, voluminous curtain partition. Seated patrons enjoy the ambiance near a central banquette upholstered in pale blue and deep navy. A prominent black and white geometric artwork and the coffered ceiling texture define the sophisticated, gallery-like atmosphere.

Cucina Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio. Courtesy of Galleria Massimo Minini abd Studio Alberto Garutti.

A dramatic central view of the Voce room, defined by its Modular seating plan and controlled lighting. Independent emerald green armchairs face a large, wall-mounted lime green screen, creating an immersive, theatre-like atmosphere. The repeating rhythm of the white columns and bright, continuous LED strip lighting define the refined, high-tech space.

Voce Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

A symmetrical, dramatic view of the Voce space emphasizing color and form. Several Modular armchairs in deep emerald green velvet are arranged to face a central wall featuring a stark, rectangular window filled with intense lime green light. The visual focal point is framed by textured grey acoustic paneling and the stark white, illuminated ceiling structure, embodying a Neo-Retro aesthetic.

Voce Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

A symmetrical interior view showcasing the Modular seating arrangement and architectural geometry. Independent, deep emerald green chairs are arranged in the foreground, mirroring a long banquette against the textured acoustic wall. Bright linear ceiling lights emphasize the clean lines and white columns, while discreet black speakers hint at the room's precise audio function.

Voce Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

If Cucina Triennale celebrates the social dimension of design, Voce gives it a voice, literally. Dedicated to sound and music, this 300-square-metre venue reinstates Triennale’s long-dormant relationship with the auditory arts: in the 1950s, the same space served as a broadcast centre for RAI’s experimental programming. Today, the same space has been turned into a state-of-the-art soundscape designed for concerts, listening sessions, and installations.

Much like the restoration for Cucina, Cipelletti stripped Voce’s architecture down to its very essence, in this case a rectilinear framework supported by a series of pillars that delineate three asymmetrical naves. Wrapped in grey-hued acoustic panels, the space has been purposefully left unadorned with not one artwork or decorative element in sight, nor for that matter any building services, no easy feat, considering that sixteen kilometres of cables, a complex ventilation system, and 350 metres of LEDs had to be tucked away behind the acoustic panels. The result is a starkly minimalist, soulfully immersive space, its meditative ambience further enhanced by Anonima Luci’s (Alberto Saggia and Stefania Kalogeropoulos) lighting design which animates the interior with shifting tones, from pure white to subtle colour gradients, in response to the music.

  • A bold, Minimalist interior defined by a crisp white column and textured, gray wall paneling. The striking contrast comes from horizontal windows filled with an intense, monochromatic electric lime green light, creating a strong, almost surreal color field. The precise lines of the white beam work on the ceiling reinforce the space's geometric rigor.

    Voce Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

  • A clean, recessed entrance to the Voce listening room, defined by seamless white walls and light wood flooring with a pinkish tint. The focal point is a central alcove housing a wall of prominent black speakers and glowing technical equipment in a vertical rack, flanked by plush deep green seating elements, emphasizing the room's auditory purpose.

    Voce Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

An atmospheric corner view of the Voce space, showcasing the deep, wavy emerald green banquette and low circular tables. The dramatic white columns frame large, grid-paned windows offering a blurred, Biophilic view of the park. The interplay between the sleek, controlled interior and the organic green exterior is a defining element of the design.

Voce Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

An immersive view of the Voce listening room, defined by a long, undulating modular sofa in deep emerald green velvet. The strong horizontal line of the green seating contrasts sharply with the textured, acoustic gray walls and the smooth, monumental white columns. Low, dark circular tables float on the pale, brick-patterned floor, establishing a dynamic Minimalist rhythm.

Voce Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

  • An oblique perspective showcasing the rhythmic layout and materials of the listening room. A long, serpentine modular banquette runs along the textured grey wall, punctuated by low, round, dark grey tables. The scattered green chairs in the foreground demonstrate the Geometric flexibility of the seating plan, all beneath the dramatic, brightly lit white ceiling beams.

    Voce Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

  • A highly symmetrical, long-axis view down the Voce space, defined by a repeating colonnade of illuminated white columns. The composition directs the eye toward the distant, centered wall of Industrial audio equipment. The repetition of the rhythmic ceiling lighting and the smooth floor surfaces creates a deep, atmospheric perspective consistent with the project's Minimalist and gallery-like aesthetic.

    Voce Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

  • A perspective shot emphasizing the depth and architectural features of the Voce listening room. The Minimalist space features a continuous, wavy green modular banquette along the acoustic wall, contrasted by monumental white columns. In the distance, a vivid lime green window panel provides a dramatic, monochromatic color pop against the neutral palette and clean white ceiling beams.

    Voce Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

A head-on, hyper-minimal detail of the Voce sound wall, emphasizing Industrial precision. The white facade is dominated by a perfectly symmetrical arrangement of black speaker drivers and large sound horns. The central column reveals glowing, multi-colored technical equipment behind glass, presenting the audio array as a piece of powerful, Geometric architecture.

Voce Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

A large retro-futuristic soundwall, designed in collaboration with Giorgio Di Salvo, forms an altar-like focal point within the space’s basilica-like layout, while a modular seating system by Philippe Malouin, upholstered in forest-green felt by Meritalia, allows for a seamless transformation from an intimate listening room to a cocktail bar or dance floor. Outside, Marcello Maloberti’s handwritten neon sign TRIENNALE VOCE marks the entrance, boldly proclaiming the importance of spoken language.

A side-angle detail shot emphasizing the room's Brutalist and Industrial aesthetic. A massive wall installation houses large black speaker cones and sound horns within a stark white facade, with a central glass panel revealing a glowing stack of audio equipment. The composition contrasts the acoustic texture of the side wall with the smoothness of the primary sound panel.

Voce Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

A Minimalist view of the Voce room foregrounded by a casual arrangement of emerald green modular seating. The eye is drawn down the center of the room to the imposing, centralized sound wall, a symmetrical array of speakers and glowing technology. The diffused light and clean white surfaces emphasize the serene, gallery-like feel of this high-tech space.

Voce Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

A wide view emphasizing the Industrial scale and precise composition of the space. Monolithic white columns stretch across the room towards the central sound wall, which is filled with symmetrical speaker units. The floor's pale, warm brick pattern contrasts with the cool, textural grey acoustic walls and the intense color-pop provided by the modular emerald green seating.

Voce Triennale © Triennale Milano. Photography by Delfino Sisto Legnani-DSL Studio.

A sunlit interior of the Gioco space, featuring flexible, Modular furniture constructed from cork blocks. The geometric pieces are stacked to form chairs, chaises, and shelving units, accented with soft cream cushions and pale pink metal frameworks. Soft, sheer curtains diffuse the light, giving the textural, Rustic space a serene and playful atmosphere.

Gioco © Triennale Milano. Photography by Smarin Studio.

Completing the Piano Parco ensemble is Gioco, a free-access space dedicated to children and families. Designed by Cipelletti, it’s a tactile playground for imagination and experimentation courtesy of French studio Smarin’s modular furnishings. Constructed from cork blocks and solid pine surfaces the system can be reconfigured into desks, loungers, or sculptural landscapes, crucially without the use of nails or screws. Utilitarian and sustainable, this system aptly reflects Triennale’s founding ethos: that design should engage the senses, empower creativity, and invite everyone, regardless of age, to participate in the act of making.

Throughout, Cipelletti’s approach demonstrates how thoughtful restoration can uphold historical integrity while adapting to contemporary expectations of openness, accessibility, and use—ensuring that Palazzo dell’Arte continues to serve not as a monument to the past, but as a living framework for the cultural life of Milan.

  • A dynamic, close perspective emphasizing the sculptural quality of the cork Modular furniture stacks. The trapezoidal blocks create tall, asymmetrical towers that serve as shelving or table bases, with a small teddy bear perched on top. The composition uses foreground blur to draw attention to the unique texture of the cork and the soft color of the sage curtains.

    Gioco © Triennale Milano. Photography by Smarin Studio.

  • A detail highlighting the contrast between the texture of the cork Modular components and a piece of accent furniture. The foreground features stacked cork blocks and a light wood surface, while a delicate, dusty pink metal stool with woven seating adds a soft color pop against the sheer white window curtains, bathed in natural light.

    Gioco © Triennale Milano. Photography by Smarin Studio.

A wide view of the Gioco space, featuring flexible, low-slung furniture built from Modular cork blocks and dressed with cream cushions. The minimalist aesthetic is softened by natural light streaming through windows draped with pale sage curtains. The open, flexible plan invites rearrangement and emphasizes the light, playful material palette.

Gioco © Triennale Milano. Photography by Smarin Studio.

  • A detail shot of children's hands arranging geometric shapes during an activity. White wooden arch pieces and blocks are set on a pale wood table alongside bold pieces of colored cardstock in blue, yellow, and red. The focus on pure geometric forms and primary color blocks connects the Gioco project to early Bauhaus design principles through playful assembly.

    Gioco, Triennale Milano. Photography by Gianluca Di Ioia.

  • A close-up of a child kneeling on a cream-colored cushion, engrossed in building a small structure from modular wooden blocks. A crate of blocks sits nearby, emphasizing the hands-on and constructive nature of the installation. The natural wood, soft lighting, and casual composition reflect the Zen and playful design ethos of the space.

    Gioco, Triennale Milano. Photography by Gianluca Di Ioia.

  • An overhead shot capturing children engaged in artistic activity around a light wood table. The scene is full of color and texture, with hands working on coloring pages featuring bold, whimsical drawings and shaping pink and green modeling clay. The focus is on tactile exploration and creative play, highlighting the project's Bohemian and interactive philosophy.

    Gioco © Triennale Milano. Photography by Lorenza Daverio.

A striking, symmetrical view into the Gioco. The walls and entryway columns are constructed from irregularly shaped, interlocking cork blocks in a rich, warm brown tone. The geometric composition, which leaves triangular and diamond-shaped voids, emphasizes the tactile quality and modularity of the natural material.

Gioco © Triennale Milano. Photography by Smarin Studio.