Villa Héritage: discovering the installation designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon at the Salone 2025

Entrance

The entrance to Villa Héritage sets the tone for the entire exhibition itinerary: a dialogue between architecture, materiality and contemporary viewpoint. A contemporary sculpture of a woman marks the way, a silent yet eloquent presence, suggestive of the central role played by human figures in built spaces. A little further on, large photographs by Massimo Listri capture the spirit of Italian palazzi, in all their solemnity and symmetry, the subtle play of light and shadow, the poetry of the surfaces. The atmosphere is a balance between terracotta and Pietra Serena, materiality and sophistication, tradition and modern interpretation. This space is not just a point of access but a statement of intent: how do spaces influence our perception, our movement and our emotions?

Drawing Room (Red) 

The Drawing Room explores the link between opera and design, placing theatricality at the centre of the space. The deep, omnipresent red evokes the scene, the curtains, the dramatic intensity typical of the great Italian opera houses. It is a space of restrained emotion, reminiscent of the architecture of the historic spaces and the silent tension that precedes the opening of the curtain. At the centre of the scene, an iconic costume from La Traviata, designed by Luchino Visconti and worn by Maria Callas, has been brought alive again under the expert hands of students at the Accademia della Scala. A number of fabrics by Luigi Bevilacqua from the eighteenth century and others made today on the same looms are testament to the continuity of Venetian savoir-faire. The Drawing Room epitomises a sensitivity that transcends the ages, with rigorously elegant contemporary furnishing dialoguing with museum pieces.

Dining Room (Blue) 

In this room, design becomes the language of hospitality, a bridge between cultures and stories interwoven over time. The dark blue envelops the space, evoking the sea, movement and the elsewhere. It’s a colour that conjures up a whiff of the trade routes, the influences of faraway lands such as Asia and India, reinterpreted over the centuries in European furnishings and the decorative arts. In the middle of the room, a 17th century Flemish tapestry is the visual and narrative point of reference. The lush decoration, inspired by an idealised nature, is echoed in the Chinoiserie and exotic motifs that embellish the furniture and objets d’art. Every detail tells the story of meetings, cross-pollinations and discoveries. Like a carnet de voyage, this room celebrates an aesthetic that evolves through dialogue between different worlds.

Library (Plum)

In the plum-coloured library, the focus is on the transmission of knowledge and manual skills. This room also contains a dress, designed by Lila De Nobili and worn by Maria Callas in La Traviata conducted by Luchino Visconti, and now reproduced by the students of the Accademia del Teatro alla Scala. The dress is an embodiment of living savoir-faire, in which the costume becomes a vehicle for memory as well as for learning. Around it, original sketches, atelier photographs and textile elements document the creative process, from design to dressmaking. Techniques evolve without betraying their original soul. The Library, where books and textiles come together, is a tribute to knowledge that survives because it knows how to renew itself.

Bathroom 

A play of mirrors turns the bathroom into a place suspended between reality and perception. A large wall of mirrors designed by Arte Veneziana fragments the space, multiplying the viewpoints and modulating the light in a choreography of reflections. The effect is almost dreamlike: a sense of infinity, a constantly changing dimension. In the middle of the scene a ‘30s-inspired bathtub achieves a perfect balance of functionality and sculpture, evoking timeless luxury.

Bedroom (White) 

Colour is the star of this room, becoming invisible architecture, shaping the space and the objects that inhabit it. White is revealed to be an element that highlights, rather than detracts. Far from being neutral and silent, it dialogues with pieces from different eras, from the most opulent to the plainest, allowing breathing space to each material and detail. At the windows, the Venice Lido is brought to life through images from Luchino Visconti’s Death in Venice. The cinematic tale melds with the architecture. Mahler’s Adagio envelops the space, adding a sound dimension that serves to broaden the experience. A porcelain chandelier captures and refracts the light, introducing an unexpected material touch.

Winter Garden 

Inspired by the majestic glasshouses of the 19th century and a tribute to Italian landscapes, the Winter Garden has reinvented its purpose, turning the space into a place of deep connection between architecture and nature. Here, the trimmings applied to the walls as structural decorations, transforms the materiality of the textiles into a language that defines the space. In the centre, a Murano glass chandelier tells of plant worlds. The classic sofas, reupholstered with fabric boasting contemporary motifs, embody the dialogue between tradition and current creation. Every detail, every finish is testament to a savoir-faire that finds new expression here.

Music Room 

In the heart of the exhibition itinerary, the Music Room opens out like a pause for breath, a place where architecture, sound and matter enter into dialogue. Here, music is not just listening, but a spatial experience, a vibration that takes shape within the environment. Dominating the ceiling, the imposing dome of the Pantheon in Rome, immortalised by the lens of Massimo Listri, plunges the space into an ambiance of architectural grandeur. Warm brown shades make their way down from above, enveloping the room in a muffled atmosphere, ideal for listening and contemplation. Amy Thai's works, dedicated to the connections between stone, nature and artistic expression, dialogue with the sound, while music becomes an object through two symbolic instruments: a harp, an emblem of tradition, and an Alpange piano, which redefines sound art through technological innovation. 

The Alpange piano in the middle of the Music Room is the star of a sound experience without precedent. Played by two talented young masters, Anne Lovett and Michael G. Jennings, it will regale visitors with a series of exclusive concerts during the period of the Salone. Chosen for its ability to marry technology with acoustic sensitivity, the Alpange reproduces the harmonic richness and depth of a grand coda, thanks to an advanced digital system capable of reproducing every shade of sound with total precision. Its elegant, contemporary design chimes perfectly with the philosophy behind Villa Héritage, where past and future come together in a continuous dialogue. Its presence is not incidental – here, where architecture and sound meet, the Alpange becomes a symbol of art in constant evolution, a bridge between the piano tradition and the infinite possibilities of technology.

Thanks are due to: Alpange, Bianco Bianchi, Ceramiche Ceccarelli, Dedar, Galleria Frilli, Tessitoria Luigi Bevilacqua, Mario Consolo Antiques, Massimo Listri Fotografo, Papier de Paris, Rubelli, Sahrai, Samuel& Sons, Tassinari & Chatel Lelievre, Accademia Teatro alla Scala and Teatro alla Scala.