Commissioned by Italy's Covid-19 Commissioner, Milan-based architect Stefano Boeri developed an architectural and graphic concept for the state vaccination campaign. The symbol of the project, "With flowers, Italy comes back to life," became multi-colored plant symbols inscribed in the architecture.
Pro publico bono
Photo by Stefano Boeri Architetti
Stefano Boeri, an architect best known for his realization of the Bosco Verticale - tree-lined skyscrapers in the center of Milan - took on the task of developing a visual setting for Italy's vaccination campaign without taking a salary. Together with a team of consultants from various fields, he developed a concept with three main parts. It consists of logos in a context-adaptable form, temporary pavilions and mobile totems.
Lightweight pavilions
Photo by Stefano Boeri Architetti
The pavilions, placed in the main squares of Italian cities, are to be used to administer the entire vaccination system at the local level. They will consist of a prefabricated wooden base covered with fabric made partly from natural and partly recycled materials. Photovoltaic panels are to be placed on the roofs to supply the facilities with electricity. The interiors, divided by textile walls, will house both vaccination, administration and patient waiting areas.
Complementing the pavilions will be mobile totems that will be placed in public spaces to provide information on the current pandemic and vaccination situation.
Floral symbolism
The image of a spring flower, which appears as the project's leitmotif, was chosen as a symbol of rebirth and peace. It is meant to be a spatial and visual form of a message about returning to contact with nature and other people after months of isolation. It is also a symbol of the natural cycle of life and constant rebirth. Also, the species of flower - in this case primrose - was chosen not by accident, precisely as a plant that blooms right after the long winter.
