The biggest bow
Rome – Lafuente
Rome, italy
Concept Design
Design Engineering
Project Management
2017/2018/2019
Architecture wrapped by a wandering giant’s hand
A Monument Scaled to Wonder
The project arises from a simple, almost whimsical idea: imagine a giant passing by, taken by curiosity for the Lafuente towers, and deciding to wrap them as a gift for the city. The red bows installed atop these prominent structures in Rome’s Parco dei Medici transform familiar façades into theatrical presences visible from the highway. This gesture of scale and spectacle reframes urban architecture as a shared moment in the city’s collective imagination.
Urban Gift, Structural Precision
Commissioned by Valle Giulia Real Estate and conceived by Thirtyone Design, the installation embraces both narrative and engineering rigor. Inflatable bows, internally lit and engineered to resist strong winds and weather, envelope the building’s façades without rigid anchoring, while an oversized reel and pair of scissors at ground level evoke the giant’s interrupted task. This juxtaposition of playful myth and structural resolve positions the work between sculpture and situational architecture.
Seasonal Transformation and Shared Story
More than festive décor, the installation stages a seasonal transformation that animates familiar cityscapes with narrative intrigue. The illuminated bows, visible by day and night, invite passersby to see the city as a curious observer might: paused, delighted, and momentarily transported by the possibility that a giant has walked here, left a token, and will return to finish what he began.
