Cool House

Cool House. Milan, Italy. May 2015.  

One is the Loneliest Number. Milan, Italy. May 2015.

Rem Koolhaas was the lead architect behind Fondazione Prada in Milan, and it is incredibly fitting because it is indeed one very "Cool House." Koolhaas and his firm OMA were tasked with transforming this former distillery south of city center into a mega complex for the Prada family's extensive collection. OMA is a favorite of Prada; they collaborate on catwalks and shopfronts for the brand. In my opinion, Fondazione Prada is the best testament to their collaborative relationship. 

OMA converted seven standing buildings and created three news ones that matched the industrial style of the distillery. The Fondazione Prada was established in the 90s to be a cultural hub of cinema and art and the design of the complex honors that. It is minimal, spacious, and sleek, allowing the art and exhibitions to take center stage. However, with this being said, one of the most beautiful aspects of the foundation is part of the building itself; its 24-karat gold leaf covered tower. You can see a glimpse of the gold base in the top photo. 

Fondazione Prada has brought new life to a largely ignored neighborhood of Milan and I look forward to the day I get to visit it again and see the changes it brings to the surrounding area. 

Ciao Bello

Ciao Bello. Milan, Italy. July 2015. 

One of the benefits of living in Milan is being in the middle of high fashion. The same day Expo Milano 2015 opened, so did Armani/Silos, a fashion museum dedicated to creations by Giorgio Armani. When I visited last year, Armani/Silos was hosting a retrospective exhibition displaying 40 years of Armani's works over 4,500 square meters of industrial space designed by Pritzker Prize winning architect Tadao Ando. The building was actually a silo for grain in the 1950s and is now home to roughly 600 dresses and 200 accessories. Walking through the corridors, you have to fight every impulse to touch and feel everything, although, on second thought, it would be a good way of catching the attention and starting a mild flirtation with one of the black-suited models/docents.

That Was a Doozy

That Was a Doozy. Milan, Italy. January 2016. 

When friends visit Milan and ask for restaurant recommendations, Carlo e Camilla in Segheria is at the top of my list. Located in an up-and-coming neighborhood in the city, Carlo e Camilla is a standout in atmosphere, design, architecture, and menu. The building is an old saw mill repurposed into a bar and open space restaurant with communal seating. High ceilings give the place a lofty and spacious feel, and from the wooden beams hang marvelous crystal chandeliers that contrast nicely against the bare cement walls. It is elegant and edgy while adhering to some classic Italian elements i.e. dishes are served on all different types of patterned Richard Ginori china (see my previous post on Richard Ginori). 

On this particular evening, friends from Washington, D.C., were visiting and so naturally I made a reservation at Carlo e Camilla.  While we were dining we observed a large group having a rowdy celebration on a "school night." As the party was leaving, service quickly cleared all the wine bottles so I was unable to snap this image with all the bottles strewn along the table. I did manage to capture just a small portion of the party's table with other evidence from their eventful evening. So many glasses, so few hours in the night.