studio smarin IDIORYTHMIA — a first spark for a rhythmic approach to design

talk
WE WILL DESIGN

IDIORYTHMIA is a talk bringing together Studio smarin and design theorist Emanuele Quinz, moderated by Alessandro Scarano, journalist at Domus. The conversation delves into the ongoing research developed by the studio in collaboration with Emanuele Quinz, exploring how contemporary life is shaped by overlapping temporal regimes—biological rhythms, technological schedules, institutional timetables, urban flows, and systems of production, ecology, and attention. 

Drawing on Henri Lefebvre’s rhythmanalysis and Roland Barthes’ concept of idiorrhythmy, the talk introduces a rhythmic approach to design positioned at the intersection of aesthetics, ethics, and politics. Rather than framing the frictions between different temporalities as problems to solve, the research investigates how they can be observed, interpreted, and transformed into opportunities for design. 

 

The discussion unfolds across a transdisciplinary field—spanning microsociology, industrial ecology, chronobiology, neurology, and metabolic urbanism—where rhythm emerges as a key lens for understanding and shaping contemporary environments.

 

At its core lies the notion of idiorythmy: the coexistence of singular rhythms within a shared space, proposed here as a paradigm for rethinking collective practices and spatial organization. 

The talk also presents IDIORYTHMIA, the installation developed for BASE during Milan Design Week, as a living laboratory of these ideas. Inspired by BASE itself—its hybrid nature, its multiple communities, and its layered programming—the installation embodies a model of inter-rhythmic coexistence, offering a concrete framework for designing reversible, multi-program spaces that integrate rest, regeneration, and adaptive use. 

 

 

 

 

 

IDIORYTHMIA is a widespread project proposed by Institut français Milano for Palazzo delle Stelline and BASE Milano, featuring Emanuele Quinz, realized by smarin studio in collaboration with BASE Milano, the Scuola del Design – Politecnico di Milano, and the Fundazione di l’Università di Corsica – MARLAINE interregional maritime project. 

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