Walk the Talk

Architect Italo Rota and international design and innovation office CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati have unveiled a project for Milan Design Week 2023 that transforms the city’s Botanical Garden into the largest game board in the world. Designed as an accessible “choose your own path” adventure, “Walk the Talk” challenges players to discover and reflect on everyday choices for a sustainable mobility. The installation features energy-harvesting tiles that produce dynamic light and sound effects during day and night. The project is developed for global energy company Eni as part of the Design Week’s INTERNI Re-evolution exhibition, and will be open to the public until 26th April 2023.

The “Walk the Talk” path is structured as a metaphorical stroll around Milan, featuring the city’s major landmarks. It is made up of over 400 wooden tiles and 32 different types of icons spread across 3500 square meters. Each one represents either an obstacle or a solution to the game’s theme of urban mobility: from traffic to public transportation and electric car sharing. Players – either alone or in tandem with others – navigate their way through the city by finding sustainable solutions to challenges such as overcrowded neighborhoods or lack of pedestrian areas. Their route depends on the choices they make, as they encounter various crossroads and intersections along the way. 

The path’s colored tiles are produced with a combination of special luminescent varnishes and films which harvest and store energy during the day and release a prolonged glow after dusk. This glowing effect is enhanced by a low-intensity lighting system throughout the garden, adding an atmospheric quality to the space and allowing visitors to play the game after dark. The “Walk the Talk” path is designed along with game designer collective Blob Factory Gaming studio, and with graphic design concept by studio FM milano. 
 

CREDITS

Walk the Talk

A project by Italo Rota and CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati

Client: ENI

Orto Botanico, Brera, Milan, Italy (opening times: 10:00-22:00)

Part of INTERNI Design Re-Evolution exhibition within the Milan Design Week 2023

Opening dates: 18-26 April 2023

CRA Team: Carlo Ratti (founder), Andrea Cassi (Partner in Charge), Chiara Morandini (Project Manager), Gabriele Sacchi, Gary di Silvio, Gianluca Zimbardi

Italo Rota Team: Italo Rota, Francesca Grassi

Developed with Blob Factory Gaming Studio

Graphic concept by studio FM milano

Photo credits: Marco Beck Peccoz
Video credits: Davide Bernardis (creative direction), Andrea Zendali (videographer)