At an altitude of 2173 meters, in the middle station of the Pavillon – Skyway Mont Blanc – takes shape The Groundhogs’ Den: a hypogean play and educational project designed to educate and engage children and families within animmersive sensory experience.
Saglietti Group oversaw the technical implementation of the structure, working under extreme environmental conditions, with dedicated logistics and timelines constrained by the arrival of snow.

An underground setting between narrative, technique and altitude

Building underground, at 2173 meters

The project stems from a call for proposals promoted by Funivie Monte Bianco S.p.A., with the design signed by Officina82. The objective:
Create an educational and sensory space capable of telling the story of the life of the alpine marmot, through sounds, educational panels,
child-friendly paths and ascenic exit via a transparent dome emerging from the ground.

Implementation required non-standard operational management:

• Materials and people transported to altitude by helicopter and cable car
• On-site assembly by Saglietti Group technical team at a permanent construction site for one month, between October and November 2024
• Daily management of adverse weather conditions: fog, wind, rain, mud, and cold temperatures

Each activity was planned according to the cable car schedule and the imminent arrival of snow.
The construction site was completed on schedule, allowing the project to open before the seasonal closure.

Technology, wood and steel for an immersive experience

Parametric design and playful certification

The heart of the project is an 8-meter-long corten steel underground pipe, cut into sections and assembled directly at height.
The self-healing outer structure, perfectly integrated into the alpine landscape, was welded in situ by Nuova Sicmi Srl,
then buried by taking advantage of the natural slope of the land (about 27°).

A second glulam structure, designed in 3D to reduce time and margin of error, was inserted inside. Its features:

• 14 modular layers for more than 300 machined parts
• Three-ply (4 cm) spruce cladding, treated with fire retardant paint
• Two entrances: one for adults (ø 2.20 m), one for children (ø 1.30 m)
• Transparent plexiglass dome (2 x 1.10 m)
• Forced ventilation, flexible LED lighting, audio speakers, educational panels
• Contoured interior steps to accompany the pathway

Particular attention was paid to safety and play regulations:

• Risk assessment
• Foam and faux leather covers for impact surfaces
• Certified materials
• Spaces that conform to inclusive play

A technical project with an educational soul

Inside the Burrow, visitors are accompanied by the narrative voice of Otta, a marmot guide who narrates habits, habitat, hibernation and feeding.
Curved transparent vitrines accommodate life-size reproductions of the animal, integrating into the hypogeal setting.

The project targets a cross-sectional audience, keeping thechild’s experience at the center but with a narrative and constructive framework that can be read by adults as well.

The intervention was possible thanks to the synergy between several parties:

• Officina82 – Lara Sappa and Fabio Revetria – for design and art direction
• Funivie Monte Bianco Spa, promoter and developer of the work
• The Saglietti Group operations team, present at high altitude for the duration of the site: Alessio Giacone, Daria Bergese, Ciko, Sofian and Daniele

Do you have an elevation or depth project? Let’s talk about it.

Whether it is a hypogeal educational space or an immersive exhibit in extreme conditions,
Saglietti Group is the ideal technical partner to create tailor-made, sustainable and functional installations that respect both the context and the visitor experience.

Contact us to share your design vision.

In the context of the exhibition Earthrise 2025,
Saglietti Group
oversaw the technical realization of the exhibition set-up, developing a
modular project, sustainable and consistent with the central theme: democracy.
An articulated intervention, built in synergy with curator Vera Sacchetti
and the team of the Circle of Design, which involved
pre-existing elements, tailored solutions
and immersive spaces with high technical complexity.

Exhibit design between planning, reuse, and curatorial vision

From concept to matter: a technical and narrative translation

On the occasion of the third edition of Earthrise, the work of
Saglietti Group has focused on the
physical and functional translation of the curatorial vision.
Each element was designed and built to respond to a
twofold need: to promote readability of the content displayed
and to maintain narrative continuity with previous editions.

The project consisted of six thematic cores, each devoted to an aspect of the
contemporary democracy.
For each work, customized technical supports were developed –
modular, demountable and reusable – capable of integrating with the spatial characteristics of the
Circle of Design.

Among the installations managed for the 2025 edition:

• Fragments of Democracy II (Studio Folder with Matteo Bettini):
  a survey of press freedom in Italy, including data, maps and complex documents.
  The design translates the density of information into a clear and engaging visual experience,
  stimulating critical thinking about contemporary democratic fragilities.
• XML Architecture Research Urbanism:
  a visual atlas of the 193 UN parliaments classified into five recurring typologies.
  Each configuration reveals a different way of understanding political confrontation
  and representing democracy.
• Infinite Passports, inspired by the work of Giuditta Vendrame and Fiona du MesnilDot:
  a collage of imaginary passports composed of real fragments,
  suggesting a future without barriers to citizenship and freedom of movement.
• Propaganda Theater by Jonas Staal:
  an intense audiovisual experience spanning populist messages, political propaganda,
  contemporary conflicts and manipulated narratives.
• Filandón – Public Infrastructure for Transmedia Gatherings by Space Popular:
  an exploration of the future of participatory spaces between physical and digital,
  avatars, virtual meetings and shared environments.
• Wishing You Well by Andrea Anner and Thibault Brevet (AATB):
  a robot tossing a coin into a fountain, ad infinitum.
  A poetic gesture linking desire, technology and trust.

Design reuse and aesthetic continuity

One of the distinctive features of the intervention concerns the
reuse and reinterpretation of construction elements already used in previous editions.

The MDF seats with pink tops, now present in the second room, come from the 2024 exhibit.
The Valchromat display cases, dedicated to the Infinite Passports series,
were repurposed from elements designed for Earthrise 2023.
Due to their robustness and versatility, it was possible to reintegrate them into the new concept
without altering their formal identity.

This approach made it possible to:

• Reduce the environmental impact of the project
• Optimize production time and cost
• Maintain aesthetic continuity between different editions

The graphic part was developed by working on the choice of materials.
The use of Blueback paper, typical of billboard advertising,
introduced a visual language that was essential, direct and consistent with the theme.

Immersive room: technical design of multimedia spaces

Inside the immersive room, the
functional and conceptual needs met in a high-tech environment.
Two installations – Wishing You Well and Filandón – required the design of
Self-supporting curved structures integrated with projection systems,
LED and continuous flooring.

Seabed effect linoleum extends
seamlessly from horizontal to vertical surfaces,
thanks to a hidden fastening system.
The chandeliers, made to design, deliberately take up the shape of the
Ring light used in the social world.

Do you have an exhibition project to implement? Contact us.

From temporary exhibitions to immersive spaces, from museum displays to multimedia installations,
Saglietti Group
is the ideal operating partner to turn a curatorial vision into a concrete experience.

Contact us for a customized consultation:
from engineering to manufacturing to on-site assembly.

Blake and his era: exhibit design for the Palace of Venaria

A set design to interpret the mystical and visionary language of William Blake, with curved materials, suspended structures and immersive atmospheres.

Translating symbolic imagery into physical space

Curves, lights and details for an exhibition route with a strong evocative impact

For Saglietti Group, exhibit design is a concrete and technical discipline: interpreting the vision of architects and curators to transform it into coherent, functional and scenic structures.
The exhibition. “Blake and His Age. Travels in Dream Time”, staged in the Halls of the Arts at the Reggia di Venaria, was an opportunity for us to explore a powerful and layered imagery where poetry, art and spirituality intertwine.

Designed by Officina82 with scientific advice from Alice Insley(Tate UK), the installation required extensive work on all rooms, with focus on three main rooms: theentrance hall, the tunnel between Room B and Room L, and Room C designated for screenings.

In all rooms, the color choices of the walls were coordinated with the curators to strengthen the visual identity of the exhibition. The selected shades dialogue with the works, evoking contrasts between light and shadow, matter and vision.

For each thematic section, we installed shaped narrative panels made of 19 mm MDF (chapters) and 8 mm MDF (titles and texts), lacquered white and laser-cut for crisp and smooth reading.

A path between dream and matter: design solutions

The ‘ entrance houses two suspended curved MDF elements covered with fire retardant HP wallpaper, inspired by the fluid forms in the painting Oberon, Titania and Puck with the Dancing Fairies (1786). The curves are made of poplar plywood and multiflex, light and flexible materials, suspended by means of steel cables and concealed structures, without ceiling or floor fixings, in compliance with the constraints of the Reggia.

The vertical silhouettes, inspired by the visionary characters of William Blake and Henry Fuseli, are freestanding, mounted on wooden bases designed for stability and lightness. The titling of the exhibition, “Blake and His Age”, is composed of 3-D letters hand-covered in white faux leather, a handcrafted detail that enriches the entrance.

In the tunnel between Hall B and Hall L, fifteen fabric curtains in the shape of a Gothic arch create an immersive passage. Prints with petroleum blue gradients amplify thedepth effect and introduce the backlit reproduction of The Inscription Above the Door, made of fireproof sheets with LED backlighting.

The Hall of Hell, set up in full red, intensifies the drama of the most powerful works.
In Hall C, dedicated to projections, suspended veils and wooden beams frame the work Pitt’s Spiritual Form guides the Beemoth (c. 1805), building a multi-level immersive environment, emphasized by three-dimensional effects and light effects.

Theexit echoes the structure of the entrance through curved shaped panels and the figure of Hecate (Enitharmon), which symbolically closes the exhibition journey.

Flanking the architectural vision, shaping the layout

Each element of theexhibit is the result of a precise architectural design. Our task is to make it possible: to translate the design into a concrete structure that is sustainable and true to the original vision.

Curves, fire retardant materials, suspension systems, graphic and structural elements-each component was engineered to ensure execution quality, stability, and narrative coherence.

The collaboration with the Officina82 studio-in the figures of Lara Sappa and Fabio Revetria-confirms a valuable design synergy.
Special thanks to Silvia Marassi for her design support and to Federico Verdi, technical manager of the installation, for his expertise and attention.

Contact us for an exhibit design project

From design to implementation,
Saglietti Group is an operating partner for architectural firms, curators and cultural institutions.
We bring technical expertise, craftsmanship and ingenious solutions to enhance every exhibition space.

Contact us to turn a design idea into a concrete setup.