Stefano Boeri on Fluxus, Sacredness, and the Future of Architecture

Stefano Boeri, architect and president of Triennale Milano since February 2018, discusses his inspirations, projects, and vision in an interview. Born in Milan in 1956, he graduated in Architecture from Politecnico di Milano in 1980 and earned a PhD in Urban Planning from IUAV University of Venice in 1989. He is a professor at Politecnico di Milano and has been a visiting professor at Berlage Institute Rotterdam, EPFL Lausanne, and Strelka Institute Moscow. Boeri cites Fluxus as a current inspiration for its multiverse intersection of languages and worlds. His most representative project is Villa Méditerranée in Marseille, a port architecture with a cantilevered habitable plane hosting the sea. He emphasizes the botanical importance of genius loci, selecting plants based on local growth and rooting criteria. Regarding the future, Boeri notes its increasingly instantaneous nature, echoing philosopher Franco Bolelli. He advises young architects to cultivate their obsession. Despite being a non-believer, he affirms the importance of the sacred, especially after crises like 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine. He worked on the Unknown Unknowns exhibition at Triennale, exploring mystery. Boeri believes the future requires intellectual, artistic, and physical courage, and that those under 20 have everything at stake.