April 20, 2018
Fondazione Prada announces the opening to the public of Torre on April 20, 2018.
The new tower marks the completion of the foundation’s Milan venue, designed by Rem Koolhaas, with Chris van Duijn and Federico Pompignoli, from architecture firm OMA, and first unveiled in May 2015.
Torre is one of the three new buildings within the architectural compound, which is the result of the transformation of a distillery dating back to the 1910’s. The 60-meters high white concrete building has become a recognizable landmark for the Fondazione, revealing itself within Milan’s urban skyline while simultaneously framing an unprecedented view of the city through its large windows.
Torre develops on nine levels, six of which are exhibition spaces, for a total surface of approximately 2,000 sqm. The remaining three levels host a restaurant and other visitors’ facilities. The structure is completed by a 160 sqm panoramic terrace hosting a rooftop bar. The exhibition spaces have been conceived to display works and large installations from the Prada Collection, which mostly includes works by 20th and 21st century Italian and international artists, and set to become a resource of potential perspectives which future projects and new artists will contribute to.
Thanks to the variations of three spatial parameters (plan dimension, clear height and orientation), each floor of Torre presents specific environmental conditions. Half of the levels have a rectangular floor plan, while the other half displays a trapezoid one. The clear height of the ceilings increases from bottom to top: from 2,7 meters on the first floor to 8 meters on the top level. The external façades are characterized by an alternation of concrete and glass surfaces, which allows exposure from a northern, eastern or western side, whereas the top gallery is exposed to zenithal light. The southern side of Torre presents an imposing tube which connects it to Deposito, inserting itself within the latter. This inclined structure, made of iron and concrete, is characterized by a wide internal slot inside which a panoramic elevator is integrated.
The irregular geometry of Torre allows its exterior appearance to vary according to different observation points, and perfectly embodies the architectural vision for the entire Fondazione, which features an ensemble of oppositions and fragments that never congeal into a single image. As explained by Rem Koolhaas: “By introducing so many spatial variables, the complexity of the architecture will promote an unstable, open programming.”
Fondazione Prada
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press [at] fondazioneprada.org
