One of the finest twentieth century villas in Milan, the Casa Villa Necchi was finished in 1935, at the height of the Italian Rationalist movement. The architect Piero Portaluppi was Milan personified, a designer for whom the rapidly industrialising city provided endless opportunity.
His clients at Villa Necchi, the Campiglio family, were local industrialists eager to demonstrate their artistic patronage to the city at large. Austere, neo-classical details are combined with rich materials; the sumptuous interior is filled with art, ancient and modern, and period ambience to die for.
Later modernized by long-term Gio Ponti collaborator Tomaso Buzzi, the family gave the house to the Italian National Trust at the turn of the century. Following a six million euro restoration it has now opened its doors to the city once again. A new coffee house, named after the original family, has been designed by Piero Castellini Baldissera to complement the original structure, creating a stylish eatery with a historic pedigree.
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What is the role of fragrance in contemporary culture, asks a new exhibition at 10 Corso ComoMilan concept store 10 Corso Como has partnered with London creative agency System Preferences to launch Olfactory Projections 01
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Jack White's Third Man Records opens a Paris pop-upJack White's immaculately-branded record store will set up shop in the 9th arrondissement this weekend
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Designer Marta de la Rica’s elegant Madrid studio is full of perfectly-pitched contradictionsThe studio, or ‘the laboratory’ as de la Rica and her team call it, plays with colour, texture and scale in eminently rewarding ways
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Book: ‘Design Talks: Contemporary Creatives on Architecture and Design’ by Massimo de Conti -
New York conference celebrates depth and diversity in architecture practice todayThe World Around, Beatrice Galilee's day-long conference in New York, brought together future projects, inter-discplinary discussion and issues around gender bias, through an exciting array of international participants
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The Sharjah Architecture Triennial inspects the future of urbanismThe inaugural Sharjah Architectural Triennial, curated by Adrian Lahoud, is built around the subject ‘Rights of Future Generations’ and investigates decision making and rethinking fundamental questions about architecture in the UAE region and beyond
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Beyond buildings: the expanded vision of the 2019 Chicago Architecture Biennial -
Tallinn Architecture Biennale explores why beauty mattersHow relevant is beauty to human life, health and knowledge? Asks Dr Yael Reisner, curator of the 8th Tallinn Architecture Biennale
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Indiana’s Exhibit Columbus festival promises to celebrate women in architecture -
Renzo Piano Building Workshop retrospective to open at London's Royal Academy of Arts -
Palm Springs Modernism Week 2018 previewPalm Springs Modernism Week, which runs from 15–25 February 2018, has announced its 11-day programme of mid-century modern architecture, interiors, culture, parties and plenty of opportunities to knock back a martini. Explore what this microcosm of mid-century modernism has to offer in its most exciting week of the year, below.
