Milan’s Largest Cultural Hub, Fondazione Prada, Is Finally Complete

Milan’s Largest Cultural Hub, Fondazione Prada, Is Finally Complete

Milan’s Largest Cultural Hub, Fondazione Prada, Is Finally Complete

The 197-foot high, nine-level structure that makes up part of Milan’s Fondazione Prada complex is built of white concrete, glass, and iron.

Photo by Bas Princen, Courtesy of Fondanzione Prada

Three years after Fondazione Prada first opened its doors in one of the world capitals of fashion and design, the sprawling art museum and cultural complex is finally complete.

On April 20, Fondazione Prada—founded by Miuccia Prada, designed by Rem Koolhaas and OMA, and partially inspired by Wes Anderson—debuted Torre, the final addition to the critically acclaimed art foundation which, in 2015, transformed a 1910s gin distillery on Milan’s industrial edge into one of the city’s most important high-end cultural spaces.

Located in the foundation’s northwest corner, the 197-foot high, nine-level building is made entirely of white concrete, glass, and iron. Across each level, the ambitious tower’s floorplans vary: Ceiling height increases from bottom to top as visitors ascend the structure, and rooms alternate between a rectangle and trapezoid-shaped layout, meaning no two floors will look or feel alike. In total, the building accommodates six large exhibition spaces, as well as a restaurant, a bar, and a panoramic roof terrace.

Torre opened with the permanent exhibition, Atlas, which showcases works from Prada’s contemporary art collection created between 1960 and 2016. The building’s restaurant features artwork specially created for the foundation by notable artists, including Thomas Demand, Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg, Elmgreen & Dragset, Joep Van Lieshout, Tobias Rehberger, and John Wesley. It also features original furnishings from Philip Johnson’s iconic Four Seasons Restaurant in New York City.

The tower accommodates six large exhibition spaces, as well as a restaurant, a bar, and a panoramic roof terrace.

The tower accommodates six large exhibition spaces, as well as a restaurant, a bar, and a panoramic roof terrace.

Courtesy of Fondazione Prada

Milan’s Fondazione Prada is open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until 8 p.m. The complex is closed on Tuesdays. Tickets can be purchased at the door and online.

>>Next: Fondazione Prada in Milan Is the Ultimate Eye Candy
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