“Magliana Project”

Pier Luigi Nervi’s pavilion in Rome’s Magliana neighborhood respires with history. It was the 20th-century architect and engineer’s first structure built using ferroconcrete—a steel-rod-and-cement combination, which was quite innovative for its time—and his return to work following the end of World War II. Last Thursday, it housed designer Konstantin Grcic’s one-day, site-specific installation, the “Magliana Project,” curated by Emanuela Nobile Mino. Underneath the rippled ceiling sat Grcic’s limited-edition modular table, designed with built-in seating and installed under four identical suspension lights. The pairing of the architecture and furniture resonated as a coherent match. Grcic’s work, which awarded him Salone del Mobile’s inaugural “best designer” award in Milan last year, is largely influenced by Nervi’s application of the fiber-and-concrete technology, which he used as the foundation for these pieces. Though enjoying only a single-day marriage with the Nervi pavilion, the exhibition lives on inside Rome’s design gallery Giustini/Stagetti Galleria O. Roma (through July 28), where elements of Grcic’s “Magliana Project” are currently on display.