Fondazione Prada Torre

Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada

FONDAZIONE PRADA TORRE

OMA

ARCHITECTS
OMA

PHOTOGRAPHS
Bas Princen, Delfino Sisto Legnani and Marco Cappelletti

AREA
2000.0 m2

YEAR
2018

LOCATION
Largo Isarco, 2, 20139 Milano MI, Italy

CATEGORY
Restaurant

Text description provided by architect.

The 60-meters high Torre is realized in exposed white concrete. The new building further develops the repertoire of different exhibition conditions that together define the architectural vision of the foundation, characterized by a variety of oppositions and fragments.

Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada

Each of the nine floors of Torre offers an original perception of the internal enviroments thanks to a specific combination of three spatial parameters: plan dimension, clear height and orientation. Half of the levels is in fact developed on a rectangular floor plan, while the other half displays a trapezoid one.

The clear height of the ceilings increases from bottom to top, varying from 2,7 meters on the first floor to 8 metres on the top level.

Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada

The external façades are characterized by an alternation of concrete and glass surfaces, which allows exposure from a northern, eastern or western side on the different floors, whereas the top gallery space is exposed to zenithal light.

The southern side of Torre presents a diagonal structure connectiong it to the Deposito, and inside which a panoramic elevator is integrated.

Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada

As stated by Rem Koolhaas, “Together these variations produce a radical diversity within a simple volume – so that the interaction between the spaces and specific events or works of art offers an endless variety of conditions”.

Since the opening of Fondazione Prada’s new venue in 2015, the collection has become one of the available tools for the development of the foundation’s cultural program, taking different configurations – from thematic to collective shows, from anthological exhibitions to artist-curated projects – and now finding in Torre its permanent exhibition space.

Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada

Restaurant “Torre”, located on the sixth level of the new building, hosts original furnishing pieces from the “Four Seasons Restaurant” in New York, designed by Philip Johnson in 1958, elements from Carsten Höller’s installation.

The Double Club (2008-2009), three sculptures by Lucio Fontana – two glazed polychrome ceramics Cappa per caminetto (1949) and Pilastro (1947) and a glass paste mosaic and cement Testa di medusa (1948-54) – as well as a selection of paintings by William N. Copley, Jeff Koons, Goshka Macuga and John Wesley.

Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada

Inspired by the tradition of the Italian restaurant, the walls display artists’ plates especially created for the restaurant by John Baldessari, Thomas Demand, Nathalie Djurberg & Hans Berg, Elmgreen & Dragset, Joep Van Lieshout, Goshka Macuga, Mariko Mori, Tobias Rebherger, Andreas Slominski, Francesco Vezzoli and John Wesley.

The rooftop terrace was conceived as a flexible space hosting a bar.

Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada

It is characterized by a black and white optical floor decoration and by a mirror clad balustrade which creates a reflection effect, capable of visually erasing the barrier between the actual space and the 360° view on the city of Milan.


Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada


Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada
Fondazione Prada Torre
© Bas Princen. Courtesy Fondazione Prada


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Fondazione Prada Torre
Section
Fondazione Prada Torre
North Facade
Fondazione Prada Torre
East Facade