Architect
Herzog & de Meuron, Basel

Location
Milan, Italy

Opening
2016

Interior
Curtains made from Ginger and Twilight 

“Besides the structural concrete, the glazed façade and the wooden floors, textile curtains give the specific character to the two main spaces of the building,” Francisca Soares de Moura, Herzog & De Meuron.

In the reading room, translucent curtains made from Ginger permanently span the structural concrete frames of the façade. They filter the sunlight, delivering the homogeneous, muted light conditions required for the space.

Twilight, a curtain, is used in the multifunctional room. This makes it possible to adapt the space to different uses, such as lectures, screenings and concerts. Specified in a black tone that blends into the walls of cores and the ceiling, the textile also helps to insulate the space acoustically – avoiding the need for permanent walls and doors.

Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli focuses on themes of equal society and the proposal of models of interaction for citizens and their representatives.

The Milan headquarters, which offers a library and extensive archives, is designed by Herzog & De Meuron. The ground floor accommodates the main entrance, cafeteria and book store. A multi-functional space is on the first floor; above are office areas on the third and fourth floors. A reading room on top of the building provides a space for visitors to study historical documents.

The construction of the headquarters was part of a larger project for the Porta Volta area. Conceived to reflect the history of site, this also includes two further buildings, mainly dedicated to offices, and a spacious green area.

Like the other buildings, the Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli headquarters is inspired by the simplicity and generous scale of historic Milanese architecture, and the long, linear Cascina buildings of traditional rural architecture in Lombardy.