A COURTYAR
Award-winning African-born architect
Diébédo Francis Kéré has created a stone
and wood pavilion encircled by wild grasses
in the Palazzo Litta, a historic palace in
Milan. Taking cues from the social and
spatial dynamics of a typical African village,
the Courtyard Village aims to carve paths
for social encounter and gathering among
visitors.
D
efining this communal ground is
an elevated platform surrounded
by a ground cover of native Italian
grasses. Atop the platform stand
three open, circular shelters made
of stone, whose shaping and
materiality dually express a sense of
transparency and mass. Overhead,
a singular over-hanging roof of
bamboo protects and shades the
village community below.
The installation features the first chair designed by
Kéré. Labelled ZIBA, the piece references traditional
African stools that are shaped by carving solid
logs with handmade tools. The ZIBA stool, made
of scented cedar, reinterprets this process using
an advanced digital technology. The name of the
stool refers to a playful Burkinabé expression that
discourages idleness. The piece was designed by
Kéré for Riva1920, the Italian brand specializing in
solid wood furniture.
The Italian company Casone produced the pavilion’s
stonework, which conveys a sense of lightness and
transparency. “In search of the ideal expression of
material, the close collaboration between Casone
and Diébédo Francis Kéré aims to reinterpret the
most primitive construction method, piling stones,
in an innovative and audacious way,” said the team. Six stone varieties were used in the pavilion
surrounding cityscape. The renowned landscape company Euroambiente supplied the pavilion’
Encompassing 500m2, the courtyard sits at the heart of the Baroque-style Palazzo Litta. Former
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Photography by Piercarlo Quecchia/Giova