Energy, innovation, design, sustainability: these are the ingredients of the project that Newcleo, Pininfarina and Fincantieri are presenting at the International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, taking up the challenge of bringing to the exhibition curated by Carlo Ratti one of the most advanced solutions for clean energy production and sustainable design to tackle two of the most pressing problems of our times: climate change and decarbonisation.
Combining technological vision, industrial expertise and avant-garde design, the three companies collaborated with the aim of redefining the image of nuclear energy, asking visitors to forget everything they know about nuclear energy and let themselves be guided on a highly interactive journey to discover the extraordinary opportunities offered by the fission of atoms in the fight against climate change and the decarbonisation of human activities.
At the centre of the joint project, housed in the Corderie dell’Arsenale di Venezia, is a life-size reproduction of the TL-40 liquid-lead cooled nuclear reactor designed by Newcleo, a safe, sustainable and compact reactor designed for propulsion of large ships and power generation in isolated and off-grid areas.
Accompanied in an immersive experience, visitors discover how the reactor works, its ability to burn the waste produced by conventional nuclear power plants, and its passive safety features that make it the ideal solution for powering energy-intensive human activities in a sustainable and decarbonised manner.
Pininfarina has given the object a set of aesthetic and symbolic qualities that enhance its attractiveness and appeal, while making it explorable and accessible for public understanding. What is presented to the eyes of visitors to the Architecture Biennale 2025 is, in fact, a reactor conceived in an open configuration that can be observed from all angles.
The shape evokes the lines of a large vase, suggesting a sense of suspension and lightness, in stark contrast to its actual mass of over two thousand kilograms. The outer shell is characterised by a moiré-effect motif of closely spaced slats that enhances the sinuosity of the lines, generates plays of light and shadow, and lends a hypnotic effect to the entire structure, which is about five and a half metres high.
Designed by the designers with an open-section approach, the reactor allows a direct view of its interior. The immersive experience at the heart of the machine allows visitors to grasp the principles and processes that govern the generation of energy.
Newcleo’s fourth-generation small modular reactors represent a revolutionary approach to the decarbonisation challenge by offering the answer to the perceived problems of traditional nuclear power. The innovative lead cooling system introduces passive safety systems that eliminate the risk of nuclear accidents through the physical laws governing reactor operation. In addition, these reactors are able to eliminate the nuclear waste generated by conventional nuclear power plants through a virtuous multi-recycling system that allows it to be burnt, generating clean, cheap and practically inexhaustible energy.
To illustrate these processes, a system has been set up for the interactive visualisation of data and information on nuclear energy and its role in the decarbonisation of energy systems. The installation will in fact reveal the effectiveness of nuclear energy in decarbonising marine transport, as well as the potential contained in Europe’s existing nuclear waste that would be sufficient to supply the continent’s electricity demand for hundreds of years.
As part of the collaboration, Pininfarina oversaw the creative vision of the project by infusing Newcleo’s technological solutions with design, bringing for the first time in the nuclear industry a creative vision that mixes technical and aesthetic elements to facilitate its integration into urban and peri-urban environments.
Fincantieri complemented the project through its experience in shipbuilding, studying a possible industrial application of Newcleo’s innovative solution. Thanks to its consolidated know-how in managing complex projects, the company has ensured the integration of the most advanced technological innovations in the shipbuilding industry, combining operational efficiency, sustainability and safety.
The joint project is more than an installation, it is a declaration of intent. In fact, the three companies are already working to realise their common vision. Fincantieri and Newcleo have been collaborating since 2023 to study the naval propulsion applications of Newcleo’s technology. Similarly, Pininfarina is working with Newcleo to design a nuclear fuel research and industrial development centre to be built in France, at Chusclan in the Gard region.
The presentation of the collaboration within the context of the International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale is a unique opportunity to show the world an innovative, unprecedented and futuristic vision of nuclear energy, far removed from the narratives of the past and capable of inspiring a near future where this inexhaustible source of clean energy will be at the service of humanity to enable the transformation of the energy system towards sustainable energies.
Stefano Buono, founder and CEO of Newcleo says in a note: ‘With this installation we show the world a new paradigm of clean and sustainable nuclear energy, designed to serve people and communities. No longer the large reactors of the past, but small, inherently safe reactors that eliminate the waste problem by providing large amounts of decarbonised energy. With Pininfarina and Fincantieri, we are launching a new vision for nuclear power designed for the societies of the future that care about progress and caring for the planet’.
Silvio Angori, Vice President and CEO of Pininfarina, says: ‘Design plays a strategic role in the development of emerging technologies, particularly in the context of sustainable energy solutions. It guarantees full integration of social and environmental dimensions in innovation processes. Our collaboration with newcleo and Fincantieri is a concrete commitment towards a future in which design not only accompanies, but enhances technology, helping to generate real impact in the face of the challenges posed by climate change and the global transition towards decarbonisation.”
Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Fincantieri, adds: “Fincantieri’s vision has always been to anticipate the future through concrete, innovative and sustainability-oriented industrial solutions. The collaboration with Newcleo and Pininfarina at the Biennale Architettura 2025, represents a key step in this direction, bringing, also in the naval sector, solutions that integrate safety, efficiency and environmental responsibility. This project is a clear example of how technological innovation, industrial ingenuity and design can converge to shape a new narrative on nuclear energy. At a time when the industry is facing the challenges of ecological transition and energy security with determination, we offer our expertise in complex marine engineering and advanced technological systems integration. The new generation of nuclear technology is no longer just a prospect: it is a concrete lever to explore new application horizons, starting with the maritime sector.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ©