Radical Disco: scrutinising the design and architecture of Italian nightlife

Exhibition exploring the change in nightlife — The Institute of Contemporary Arts London's 'Radical Disco' exhibition explores the architecture and nightlife of Italy between 1965-1975. Photography: Ben Westoby

(Image credit: Ben Westoby)

New York’s Studio 54 may be the iconic discothèque but the Italians took to nightclubbing with equal fervor, lustily embracing it as a liberating force, especially on the design front.

'Radical Disco', a new show at London’s ICA, looks at remarkable series of discothèques designed by architects such as Gruppo 9999, Superstudio and UFO who rallied under the Radical Design banner.

These architects saw discothéque design as a means of personal and professional liberation and experimentation (beware though disco fans, the show only covers the decade up to 1975 and these clubs are more hippy hangouts and place for 'happenings' than glitter-balled boogie zones). Indeed, for these architects, the nightclub had a political purpose as a new kind of multi-disciplinary space, socially and architecturally radical.

Using film, photographs, music and architectural drawings, the story starts with a club called the Pipers which opened in Rome in 1965 (Pipers became a generic terms for similar clubs that opened in its wake). The club included reconfigurable furniture, advanced (for the time) audio-visual technology and art from Piero Manzoni and Andy Warhol and stages for visiting pyschedelicians such as Pink Floyd. Soon Florence University was running a course on nightclub architecture and groovy hangouts where opening across Italy, from Turin to Rimini. All were pretty much defunct by the mid-70s though.

On December 16, to tie-in with the exhibition, Manchester-based designer Ben Kelly, the exhibition’s co-curator Catharine Rossi and others will discuss the relationship between architecture, design and nightlife.

Inside of a large room with table and chairs — The exhibition looks at remarkable series of discothèques designed by architects such as Gruppo 9999, Superstudio and UFO who rallied under the Radical Design banner. Pictured: side elevation of Piper club, 1965. *Courtesy of 3c+t Fabrizio Capolei, Pino Abbrescia e Fabio Santinelli*

Nightlife exhibition in black room — Architects saw the nightclub had a political purpose as a new kind of multi-disciplinary space, socially and architecturally radical. *Photography: Ben Westoby*

Nightlife club interiors — One of the 'venues' included is Piper, Turin, (pictured here) which became famous for its stage and audio-visual system designed by Pietro Derossi, Giorgio Ceretti and Riccardo Rosso, 1966. *Photography courtesy of Pietro Derossi*

Exhibition of nightlife with posters on the wall — Pipers became a generic terms for similar clubs that opened in its wake. *Photography: Ben Westoby*

Inside of crowded nightclub — Reconfigurable furniture, advanced (for the time) audio-visual technology and art from Piero Manzoni and Andy Warhol and stages for visiting pyschedelicians such as Pink Floyd were all mandatory elements. Pictured: Space Electronic, by Gruppo 9999 and Superstudio. *Courtesy of Gruppo 9999 and Carlo Caldini*

Nightlife booklets in glassed cabinet — The exhibition uses film, photographs, music and architectural drawings to tell the story of Italian nightlife. *Photography: Ben Westoby*

Nightclub exhibition — New York's Studio 54 is famous the world over for its raucous events, but the Italians took to nightclubbing with equal fervor. *Photography: Ben Westoby*

Hangout place with people photographing the sea — The exhibition covers the decade up to 1975, when clubs were more hippy hangouts and place for 'happenings' than glitter-balled boogie zones. Pictured: UFO, amphibious camels returning to Africa, Bamba Issa, Forte dei Marmi, 1969. *Photography: Carlo Bachi. Courtesy of UFO Archive*

INFORMATION

'Radical Disco: Architecture and Nightlife in Italy, 1965-1975' is on show at the ICA's Fox Reading Room until 10 January 2016. For more information visit the ICA website

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