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MILAN is undoubtedly one of the cities where good design and architecture have always been valued. This 4-day trip to the capital of Lombardy combines a visit to modern classics of Milanese architecture of the 20th century, by architects such as Gio Ponti, Arrigo Arrighetti and Piero Portaluppi, with an encounter with world-renowned Milanese architectural firms such as Patricia Urquiola Studio and Cino Zucchi Architetti, and a visit to the most innovative projects of recent years in the city.
Milan is a city in full renovation, with important new districts such as Porta Nuova, City Life or Portello, in which many world-class architects such as Libeskind, Stefano Boeri, Zaha Hadid or BIG have intervened, and is preparing to host the Winter Olympic Games in 2026 together with the town of Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Porta Nuova
On this trip you will also discover many of the new cultural facilities and art museums that have been built in recent years, such as the Museum of Cultures MUDEC (Chipperfield), the renovation of the Fondazione Luigi Rovati (Mario Cucinella), the Feltrinelli Foundation (Herzog & De Meuron), or the Prada Tower (OMA). A trip to rediscover one of the most interesting European cities in terms of architecture, art and design.
Nuevo Campus de Bocconi
Arrival of participants in Milan by their own means. Optional priate transfers from the airport are available upon request. Check-in at the Mercure Milano Solari 4* hotel. Free time for lunch, not included.
14:30h Meeting with the architect-guide at the hotel reception. Transfer by public transport to Puorta Nuova.
Architectural tour in the Porta Nuova district, where you will see the following projects and buildings: Bosco Verticale, 2015 (visit with Stefano Boeri Architetti, to be confirmed), Piazza Gae Aulenti, the Novetredici residential project (Cino Zucchi Architetti, 2016), Casa della Memoria (Baukuh, 2015), the Biblioteca degli Alberi park (inside/Architecture, 2018), as well as Porta Volta, home of the Fondazione Feltrinelli, (Herzog De Meuron, 2016).
We will then go to two works by the great Milanese architect Gio Ponti (1891-1979), the Pirelli Skyscraper (1960), from where we will observe the panoramic view of the city, and Palazzo Montedoria (1971), an office building that was Gio Ponti’s last work in Milan.
Palazzo Montedoria
From there we will go to Patricia Urquiola Studio, the renowned designer and architect, creative director of Cassina since 2015, to learn about her latest projects and her creative and working strategies (visit to be confirmed). According to the New York Times she is “possibly the most recognized and sought-after industrial designer in Europe, on a par with Philippe Starck and Hella Jongerius”.
18:30h End of tour. Dinner and return to the hotel free (not included) and overnight at Mercure Milano Solari 4****
9:00 am After breakfast (included) meeting with the architect-guide at the hotel reception. We will start the tour visiting the Church of St. Francis in the Fopponino, a very unique building designed by Gio Ponti (1959-1964), as well as the residential building where the architect lived, Casa Ponti in Via Giuseppe Dezza (interior visit to be confirmed). Later we will visit the Santa Croce Maternity School (1957-1961), a curious circular school designed by renowned architect Arrigo Arrighetti, as well as the MUDEC (David Chipperfield, 2015), a luminous building that houses the Museum of Cultures (entrance included), and the Armani/Silos, former silos converted into the designer’s museum by Tadao Ando.
Mudec
13:00h Lunch in a traditional trattoria in the Navigli district, characterized by its pleasant canals (included).
14:30h Meeting with the private coach. In the afternoon, we will stroll through the Bocconi Campus, university campus to discover the award-winning buildings by Grafton Architects and SANAA, and their sinuous architecture. From there we will head to the Fondazione Prada, an avant-garde museum of contemporary art and culture that combines a renovated former factory with new constructions, designed by OMA (entrance included). We will have a coffee break at the Luce café, designed by film director Wes Anderson. To conclude the itinerary, visit the Church of San Giovanni Bono (1968), by architect Arrigo Arrighetti. 19:00 end of tour.
Fondazione Prada
20:30h Optional dinner (not included) at the sophisticated Armani Restaurant, located on the top seventh floor of the Armani Hotel, with wonderful 360° views of the city for a tasting menu designed by chef Francesco Mascheroni.
Overnight at the 4**** Hotel, Hotel Mercure Milano Solare.
9:00 am After breakfast (included) meeting with the architect-guide and private coach. Transfer to see the Via Valtorta Residential Complex (2023), recently completed by Cino Zucchi Architetti, (meeting with the firm’s architect, to be confirmed). We will then take an architectural tour of Portello and City-life, two districts of the city that have been completely renovated and a general explanation of the master plan for both areas will be given.
In Portello we will see the following buildings and urban projects: Piazza Gino Valle (Valle Architetti Associati), 3 housing complexes in Portello (Cino Zucchi), Alfa Romeo Park (Charles Jencks), Parco Vittoria housing (Guido Canali). In City life, we will observe the office buildings and residential complexes designed by Libeskind, Zaha-Hadid and Isozaki, also authors of the Masterplan of the new district.
Complejo de Vivienda Portello
13:00h Light lunch at a delicious pizzeria with different Italian food options (included).
14:30h Tour of the historic center of Milan. Our itinerary begins in Piazza del Duomo, where we will visit the Duomo and its unique terrace (entrance included) with spectacular views of the city, as well as the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Tour of the center with explanations about the historical development of the city and its architecture, with stops at the Teatro della Scalla, Piazza dei Mercanti, Piazza degli Affari, the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, and the Castello Sforzesco.
20:00 Optional dinner at ATMosfera, a charming restaurant located in an antique streetcar, with typical Milanese cuisine, with which you will tour the main streets and monuments of the city center (not included).
Overnight at the 4**** Hotel, Hotel Mercure Milano Solare
9:00h After breakfast (included), check-out from the hotel.
Meeting with the architect-guide and private coach.Transfer by private bus to Segrate to see the Mondadori Group Headquarters, designed by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and built between 1968 and 1975. From there we will go to Quartiere San Felice (1967-1975), a residential development by architects Ludovico Magistretti, Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Giorgio Pedroni.
Transfer by coach and stop at the restaurant-cafeteria LúBar, where we will have a coffee break (not included).
Afterwards we will go to the iconic Villa Necchi Campiglio, (Piero Portaluppi, 1932-1935). We will visit the interior and garden of this luxurious rationalist house belonging to a wealthy family of industrialists, the Necchi, which has served as the setting for several films, such as Jo sono l’Amore and The House of Gucci. We will end the tour visiting the Romanesque basilica Chiesa di San Babila, dating back to the 11th century.
13:00h End of the tour and return to the hotel to pick up luggage. Optional private transfers to the airport are available upon request.
*Variations in the selected tours or in the travel program may occur for reasons beyond the company’s control.
ATMosfera Ristorante
Two old streetcars have been restored with great care and detail to turn them into a romantic restaurant full of charm, which travels through the main streets and monuments of the center during dinner. It is a restaurant of Italian gastronomy, whose menus vary according to the seasonality of the products. They include an appetizer with a glass of sparkling wine, starter, first and second course, dessert, a bottle of wine of your choice, mineral water and coffee. Dinner and tour of Milan in TRANVIA Ristorante Atmosfera $130/120€/pax (drinks not included).
Armani/Ristorante
Located on the seventh floor of the Armani Hotel, the Armani/Restaurant transfers the maison’s philosophy of sophisticated elegance to the world of gastronomy. An extraordinary 5-course tasting menu plus dessert by chef Francesco Mascheroni is proposed. It will undoubtedly be an unforgettable evening with one of the best views of Milan. Gourmet dinner menu at Armani/Ristorante $205/€190/pax (drinks not included).
PRICE: $1.595/1.475 € per person IN DOUBLE ROOM BASED ON A MINIMUM OF 16 PARTICIPANTS
PRICE: $1850/€ 1.715 per person IN DOUBLE ROOM BASED ON A MINIMUM OF 12 PARTICIPANTS
Reservation: payment of deposit $875/800€
Deadline to register for the trip: September 10th 2024
2nd and final payment: October 1st 2024