“Softscope” is an architectural urban installation designed by Panter&Tourron for XL EXTRALIGHT® on the occasion of Milan Design Week 2023, presented in the courtyard of Capsule Plaza at Spazio Maiocchi.

Conceived as a pseudo-domestic interior, the installation sits between a conversation pit and a public stage. Its pyramid-shaped monolith invites visitors to sit, gather, and relax, either along the low bench that frames its perimeter or within the hollowed-out central section, where integrated seating creates a more intimate space. Throughout the day, the installation encouraged informal encounters, while Capsule Plaza’s public programme transformed it into a platform for talks, meetings, and collective exchange.

The softly textured structure takes physical cues from sneaker design, while its conceptual foundation looks to the Radical Design movement of 1970s Tuscany. Echoing the spatial utopias and socially engaged attitude of that period, the project reconsiders the role of design today in imagining more sustainable forms of public and domestic space.

Built from Organix 3.0 Material powered by Balance, an XL EXTRALIGHT® material produced using bio and circular feedstock from recycled organic waste, “Softscope” recontextualises a soft and sponge-like material typically used in footwear as an outdoor architectural element. Water-, UV-, and bacteria-resistant, and free from harmful chemicals, the installation opened a new branch of research into the material’s versatility, colour, softness, and sustainable potential.