Moving clouds at the Olympics: "Our students always aim for gold''

Università della Svizzera italiana is also part of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, currently underway. At the House of Switzerland Italia in the centre of Milan, the art installation "How Clouds Move" created by the USI Academy of Architecture, has been on display for a few days. The project was conceived in an academic setting with the intent of creating a dialogue between architecture, nature, and movement; today, it once again reaches an international audience on a major stage. To illustrate its educational value and its cultural and institutional significance within the context of the Games, we present a joint interview with architect and designer Riccardo Blumer, Director of the Academy and Professor, and Ambassador Alexandre Edelmann, Head of Presence Switzerland at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).

USI's presence in the cultural programme of the House of Switzerland Italia, also part of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympics, is marked by an installation capable of speaking to diverse audiences. "How clouds move" is the result of a design workshop at the Academy of Architecture that involved first-year students in a reflection on the natural world and its ephemeral forms. Riccardo Blumer, Director of the Academy and creator of the project, explains how it is rooted in foundational teaching: "This is a first-year workshop, an exercise that combines construction, creativity and imagination. The students came from very different backgrounds and were immediately called upon to engage with design, analysis, mechanics and practical implementation." The starting point was the observation of clouds not as poetic images, but as physical and geometric phenomena. "Clouds belong to the world of fluids," continues the USI professor, "they move according to precise laws; they weigh tonnes and yet float. They have no skin, no defined surface: Leonardo da Vinci already noted this when speaking of 'surfaceless bodies'." Based on these concepts, students studied turbulent and laminar motion, shapes, and dynamics, eventually translating these observations into three-dimensional models.

This process gave rise to twelve cloud configurations: wooden structures animated by small electric motors that generate slow rotation and cyclical sounds. "Each student chose a characteristic of a cloud that struck them most and tried to convey it through a moving object. The frame was the same for everyone, but the final result was unique to each student". Drawings, reliefs, and models formed the basis of a process that intertwines creativity, discipline, and method, while deepening understanding of nature's complexity. For Blumer, the value of the installation goes beyond the individual project and concerns very approach to education: "At the USI Academy of Architecture, every exercise is treated as if it were a finished work. There is no such thing as "I will do better later": every piece of work must have the strength to justify an entire professional life." This mindset finds a natural metaphor in the Olympic context: "It is as if every training session were already an Olympic competition. Our students always aim for gold, in a competitive but constructive way, with the idea that competition serves to create bonds and not supremacy."

The decision to present this project at the House of Switzerland indeed reflects a specific institutional vision. Alexandre Edelmann, Ambassador and Head of Presence Switzerland at the FDFA, explains that innovation is a key priority for Switzerland's international presence, including the Milano-Cortina Games: "It is more effective to demonstrate innovation than simply to talk about it. With 'How Clouds Move', we chose to include a true science-based technological innovation among the attractions of our 'Swiss House,' one that is simultaneously capable of evoking emotion." This last concept, in particular, proved to be a deciding factor in choosing to exhibit the Academy's work in Milan. It confirms that the role of culture remains central to diplomacy: "Science works with facts, but without emotion, communication fails," notes the Swiss diplomat. "Art and culture are bridges that allow society to access science. In this sense, 'How Clouds Move' embodies a balance between scientific rigour and a sensitive dimension, capable of speaking to diverse audiences and fostering dialogue between science and society."

The collaboration with USI was also a natural fit from a linguistic perspective: "Italianness is not a mere pretext, but a shared culture between Switzerland and Italy. After all, ours is the country in the world that – together with Austria – is most closely connected to Italy in this regard. Working with USI in Milan on a project linked to the Alps and the common challenges of this region proved to be a natural and perfect match." The House of Switzerland, open for the duration of the Games from 4 to 22 February 2026, was ultimately created with this very aim in mind: to promote Switzerland's image, strengthen bilateral relations and create opportunities for people to meet. "We want to open doors, initiate dialogue and then develop it over time," concludes Edelmann.

In this scenario, the installation by the USI Academy of Architecture becomes not only a testament to educational excellence, but also a public narrative capable of uniting research, culture and international representation.