Exhibiting Heterotopias. The role of period room and the case of Casa Lana by Ettore Sottsass at Triennale di Milano

The paper investigates the exhibition practice of the period room through the case study of Ettore Sottsass’s Casa Lana, recently reconstructed at the Triennale di Milano. The research adopts a documentary, curatorial and architectural analysis, combining historical sources, exhibition archives, and direct observation of the installation to clarify the spatial and narrative meanings of this reconstruction. The study aims to explore how contemporary museums reinterpret domestic interiors as immersive environments. The opportunity to physically experience a ‘furnished environment’ stimulates profound reflections on the construction of an interior space, from its composition to the definition of details, through material choices that contribute to recreating the atmosphere and quality of the space itself. By analyzing Casa Lana within the broader genealogy of exhibited interiors in Italy and abroad, the article identifies new curatorial strategies that connect material authenticity and visitor experience. The results highlight Casa Lana as a heterotopic device that merges preservation, narrative display, and architectural reflection, thus contributing to the current debate on the role of interior architecture within design museums.