Lacaton & Vassal. Freespace, Transformation, Habiter
The Municipal Center Exma hosts the exhibition 'Lacaton & Vassal: Freespace, Transformation, Habiter' from November 29th to December 28th, 2025, marking the first showcase in Italy dedicated to the thirty-year work of the architectural studio founded by Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal. The exhibition delves into the central role that the theme of living has played in their research, becoming an essential component of their design practice over time.
Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal will be present at the opening on Saturday, November 29th at 10:00 am at Exma.
Lacaton & Vassal is an architecture studio founded by Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal in 1987. Their projects span private and social residential buildings, cultural and academic institutions, and public spaces. They are acclaimed for their transformations of existing social housing structures and their judicious use of materials and construction techniques. The duo was awarded the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 2021.
The exhibition is structured around three thematic sections. The first, Transformation, explores the concept of transforming existing structures as a valuable resource composed of materials, memories, and knowledge to build new design possibilities. The dialogue between old and new generates unexpected relationships, new ways of living, and unforeseen user behaviors. The second section, Habiter, features ten films showcasing daily life in different projects, highlighting how spaces gain meaning through use. The third section, Freespace, presents projects of different scales illustrating the concept of open, flexible, and anti-authoritarian design capable of adapting to cultural and environmental transformations over time.
At 10:30 am, there will be a lecture by Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, introduced by Massimo Faiferri from the DICAAR of the University of Cagliari. This will be followed by the official opening of the exhibition lacaton&vassal – freespace – transformation – habiter at 12:00 pm. The inauguration will conclude with a buffet at 1:00 pm.
