Arezzo- One gray morning, a small sleepy town woke up to find the town square lively and invaded by color and movement. This is what happened to the citizens of San Giovanni Valdarno that moody, overcast November 13th. They saw, in Piazza Cavour, Architect. Binazzi’s latest work, the inflatable dome.

Its idealization is not entirely ‘of today’, rather, it dates back to 1968 when the UFO’s, leading members of the Italian Radical Design Movement, began to idealize the construction of a replica of Brunelleschi’s Cathedral dome - the principal symbol of the Florentine Renaissance. This project’s ultimate goal was to continue and enhance the history of architecture. The tone was meant to be ironic and sometimes irreverent with regards to Florence’s historical and artistic apparatus but the project was revealed to be too ambitious for its time and ended in a standstill.

Similarly, in that year, another important project waned was lost in time - the Premio Masaccio (Masaccio Prize) - artistic recognition that was bestowed upon the greatest representatives and activists of modern and contemporary art of the time.

Today, re-living a piece of art history and architecture is possible thanks to the recovery of both projects. Fifty years later, that dome finally realized, was set up in the square right in front of Palazzo d'Arnolfo - home of the day-studio dedicated entirely to the Masaccio Prize.

Resuming the project that was interrupted back in '68, was the same Architect. Lapo Binazzi. Participating also in the latest edition of the Masaccio Prize, Binazzi was the first star of the new edition held last November.

La cupola (s)gonfiabile: inaugurated in Florence June 9, 2015 for the first time, at Villa Sfacciata, the dome was recreated in China using nylon inflatable materials. Recreated using two main colors, the white and the red of "ANAS", also features green doors with the "ANAS" written above in black. The majestic architectural structure is imposing and rises over 10 meters above the ground.

Today Binazzi remains one of the most influential architects of the 60’s and 70’s Italian Radical Design Movement. He is renowned for his ability to combine both artistic experience with experimental design; the inflatable dome attests to this.

About Arch. Lapo Binazzi
Lapo Binazzi was born in Florence in 1943 and graduated with a degree in architecture in 1971. In 1967 he founded the UFO (with Foresi, Maschietto, Bachi and Cameo), a group that is part of the experimental climate of Radicals, with whom he has participated in numerous international exhibitions: the XIV Triennale (1968), the Paris Biennale (1971), Contemporanea in Rome (1974), and the Venice Biennale (1978). In 1973, Binazzi co-founded Global Tools, a laboratory of experimental architecture. Binazzi continues to work as an architect-artist-designer, showing in notable exhibitions such as: Alchemy in Florence (1981), Documenta 8 in Kassel (1987), and The House of Dolce Stil Novo in Florence (1991). Considering design as a phenomenon of pure communication, his research focuses on trying to match the artistic experience with the same experimental design. Italian Radical Design Movement was key in solidifying Italy as an international leader in the world of post-modern design. Since 2011 Lapo Binazzi has been a professor of furniture design at the Florence Institute of Design International.

Il Premio Masaccio: November 13, 2015 at the Palazzo d’Arnolfo di San Giovanni Valdarno, a day-studio was held to reminiscence events related to the Masaccio Prize (1958-1968).
The day was divided into two parts; the first was dedicated to the historical reconstruction of the events that marked the last historical edition of 1968. The second part, analyzed the current situation of contemporary art awards in Italy thanks to the participation of recognized experts.

Attending the latest session was the Director FIDI (Florence Institute of Design International) Arch. Marc DiDomenico and Arch. Binazzi. www.casamasaccio.it