At the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia, an unusual object was displayed in the realm of architecture: a nuclear reactor. Not an abstract concept, but a full-scale replica of the TL-40, a fourth-generation lead-cooled reactor developed by Newcleo.
The design of the installation was led by Pininfarina, while Fincantieri contributed its engineering expertise. Together, the three entities aimed to reframe the public perception of nuclear power, bringing to the forefront a technology often clouded by fear and misconceptions.
Presented at the Corderie dell’Arsenale, the installation offered an immersive experience to explore the reactor’s mechanics and its potential role in decarbonisation, including its ability to reuse existing nuclear waste. Pininfarina gave the object an evocative and approachable form, intended to foster understanding and engagement. The structure, standing approximately five and a half metres tall, echoes the shape of a large vessel and appears to float despite its actual weight of over two tonnes. Its outer shell, composed of closely spaced vertical fins, creates a Moiré effect that plays with light and shadow to enhance the fluidity of its form.
Designed as an open structure, the reactor is fully visible from every angle. Interactive tools and data visualisations help visitors grasp how it works. The project sits at the intersection of visual communication, engineering, and scientific outreach. Here, aesthetics serve not as an end in themselves but to make a complex technology more accessible – one poised to become part of tomorrow’s sustainable energy systems.
Small modular reactors like the TL-40 offer a tangible alternative to fossil fuels: compact, passively safe, and capable of burning nuclear waste. The entire installation was designed according to principles of sustainability and circularity, with modular components intended for reuse at Newcleo’s upcoming R&D centre in France.
Thanks to Fincantieri’s contribution, the project also explores potential applications in naval propulsion, highlighting how design, when integrated with technology and industry, can actively support the energy transition. Pininfarina’s presence at the Biennale underscores the strategic role of design in making innovation understandable, tangible, and an integral part of our shared imagination.
