OMA-designed fondazione prada campus opens in milan

on may 9, 2015, the new milan venue of the fondazione prada opens to the public. the 19,000 square meter complex designed by OMA embraces the relationship between new architectural elements with the reclamation of a former gin distillery, comprising warehouses, laboratories, brewing silos, and new structures which surround a large courtyard.

located in largo isarco, just south of the city center, the campus consists of seven existing buildings with three new ones: museum, a space for temporary exhibitions; cinema, a transformable multimedia auditorium; and torre, a ten-story gallery tower for displaying the foundation’s permanent collections.

the 19,000 square meter complex forges a relationship between new and old architectural elements
image by bas princen / courtesy of fondazione prada (also main image)

the project — led by rem koolhaas, chris van duijn and federico pompignoli — marks a milestone in OMA’s long-term collaboration with the fashion house. koolhaas says ‘the fondazione is not a preservation project and not a new architecture. two conditions that are usually kept separate here confront each other in a state of permanent interaction — offering an ensemble of fragments that will not congeal into a single image, or allow any part to dominate the others’.

‘new, old, horizontal, vertical, wide, narrow, white, black, open, enclosed — all these contrasts establish the range of oppositions that define the new fondazione. by introducing so many spatial variables, the complexity of the architecture will promote an unstable, open programming, where art and architecture will benefit from each other’s challenges.’

image by charlie koolhaas / courtesy of fondazione prada

to coincide with the opening, OMA has designed two exhibitions for fondazione prada: ‘serial classic’ co-curated by salvatore settis and anna anguissola (may 9 – august 24) set within the new museum space in milan; and ‘portable classic’ co-curated by salvatore settis and davide gasparotto which opens in conjunction with the venice art biennale (may 9 – september 13) — see more about the ‘portable classic’ show on designboom here.

‘serial classic’ explores the conflicting relationship between originality and imitation in roman culture, and examines the issues of reproduction and display. comprising more than 70 artworks, the exhibition opens with an in-depth analysis of lost originals and their multiple copies. similarly, ‘portable classic’ explores the origins of miniature reproductions of classical sculptures, showcasing more than 80 artworks on the ground and first floor at ca’ corner della regina in venice.

the project marks a milestone in OMA’s long-term collaboration with prada
image by bas princen / courtesy of fondazione prada