Chiosco Vichy-Etat
Catalog Level
Items (Cataloging Focus)
Title Proper/Title Text
Chiosco Vichy-Etat
Date of Publication/Creation Date
1911 ca.
Place of Publication/Creation Place
Turin
Dimensions Description
4.5 x 6 cm.
Related Built Environment Objects
Descriptive Note Text
The photograph shows the Vichy-Etat kiosk at the Turin International Exposition of 1911, a small pavilion conceived as the “Tempio dell’Acqua.” Its rounded plan, white surface, domed crown, and colonnaded support transform a commercial refreshment stand into a miniature temple, visually equating mineral water with purity, health, and modern refinement.
What is especially striking is the kiosk’s deliberate classicizing vocabulary. Rather than presenting the product as a simple vendor’s booth, the design elevates Vichy-Etat through an architectural language of monumentality and cultural prestige.
The photograph also reveals how exhibition architecture operated at the intersection of commerce, display, and national representation. The kiosk’s compact scale contrasts with its symbolic ambition: it turns a utilitarian service into a carefully scripted visual experience, where architectural form itself becomes part of the marketing strategy.
Related Work/Label Identification
This photograph was published in Guida ufficiale dell'esposizione internazionale - Torino 1911 (Momo), 217.
Related Archival Material
Current Repository/Geographic Location
Cristina Della Coletta Private Collection (San Diego, USA)
Current Repository Numbers
CDC-GB-0013-217-1