Telegram: A Piero Portaluppi Tribute

Three destinations by our favourite Milanese architect

A modernist master, Piero Portaluppi was known for his combination of rational solutions and elegant aesthetics, never compromising in creating simply yet refined buildings and interiors. He was born and lived most his life in Milan.

Museo del Novecento

In 1912, he initiated what would become a lifelong collaboration with Ettore Conti, a leading figure in the Italian power sector. Conti introduced Portaluppi to the Milanese nobility, and Portaluppi even ended up marrying Conti’s adopted daughter, Lia Baglia.

Villa Necchi Campiglio

In a secluded and bourgeois part of central Milan, not far from the city’s fashion district, Villa Necchi Campiglio sits in a large, quiet garden.

Designed by Portaluppi at the behest of sisters Nedda and Gigina Necchi, as well as Gigina’s husband Angelo Campiglio, the villa, completed in 1935, is considered one of the architect’s masterpieces.

Generously proportioned and defined by linear volumes, the first floor serves as a reception area, as was customary in prestigious homes at the time.

It includes a dining room, a smoking room, a library, and a grand salon. The upper floor is reserved for the sisters’ private apartments and guestrooms.

The villa had all the latest comforts of its time: Lifts, dumbwaiters, internal intercoms, reinforced sliding doors and walled cellars.

At the time of its completion, it reflected the modernist and progressive art déco ideals. After having lived in the house a few years, the trio however wanted to soften the harshness of the geometrical modernity. They hired architect Tomaso Buzzi, who carefully reworked some of Portaluppi’s boldest design ideas to make the house more suitable for a conservative lifestyle, finding inspiration in the Louis Quinze style of the 18^th century.

The tension between tradition and progression can further be detected in the villa’s furniture, ranging from art déco to antique furniture.

The artworks present in the villa today are a later addition, donated by the de Micheli and Gian Ferrari collections, and contain names such as Tiepolo, Canaletto, Sironi, De Chircio, Martini and Wildt. More recently, artworks from the collection of Guido Storni – including pieces by masters such as Picasso, Fontana, Modigliani and Matisse – have been added.

Today, and according to the wishes of the two sisters, the villa is open to the public.

Don’t miss the pleasant garden café on the other side of the swimming pool from the villa.

Casa Museo Boschi Di Stefano

Centuries ago, there was no distinction between fine art and craftsmanship. Painters painted directly on ceilings and walls of churches and mansions.

It wasn’t until the Renaissance that the concept of “artists” was developed, separating them from skilled craftsmen.’

Casa Museo Boschi Di Stefano, on via Giorgio Jan, 15, is a unique place to visit because it contains both design, craftsmanship and works of fine art. It brings together many elements that make life not only more pleasant but also more interesting.

The museum is housed in an apartment building designed by Piero Portaluppi. It is rare to be able to visit one of his apartments, especially one as unchanged as this one, where many of the original details have been left untouched.

The house was built between 1929 and 1930, which explains why it is softer and has more classical elements than his later work, which became more minimalist and streamlined.

The apartment belonged to Antonio Boschi and Marieda Di Stefano. Di Stefano had trained as an artist, devoted almost exclusively to ceramics.

Since 1962 and still in operation today, in the very same building, is a school of ceramics, named after Marieda Di Stefano. Boschi, on the other hand, was an engineer.

The two were dedicated art collectors, and their apartment was not only home to the artists’ works but a social centre for the artistic community in Milan for many decades.

After the death of Boschi in 1988, the collection was donated to the municipality of Milan, and the apartment transformed into a museum.

The apartment consists of eleven rooms, all filled with art collected by the couple. The collection is presented in a chronological order, from the Novecento Italiano to Mario Sironi. Important pieces by Lucio Fontana and Morandi deserve special mention.

There are also interesting works representing Spatialism and the Art informel-movement.

As Boschi once summarized the collection: “This was a joint venture in every sense: in the material sense, as it implied decision-making, commitment, and financial sacrifices entailing hardships in other fields; and in the artistic sense, through a sharing of taste, objectives and choices”. In addition to the architecture and the artworks, the period furniture, selected and curated by the foundation, represents the dominant style that defined the era between the 1930s and the 1970s, when the couple lived here.

Museo del Novecento

Milan’s Museo del Novecento has one of the most prominent (and convenient) addresses in the city; right next to the Duomo, which is where most people visiting Milan sooner or later eventually end up anyway.

The building was designed by Enrico Agostino Griffini, Pier Giulio Magistretti, Giovanni Muzio, and Piero Portaluppi, later renovated by the Rota Group.

Initially, the Palazzo dell’Arengarlo was planned as a government building for the Fascist regime, which is noticeable in the distinctly Fascist style, expressed through clean lines and allusions to the building style popular in Ancient Rome.

The two symmetrical buildings were supposed to be connected with one another via a large arch, mirroring the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II entrance on the other side of the Piazza del Duomo.

But the project suffered many bombings during the World War II, and the arch was never realized. Construction wasn’t completed until 1956, 20 years after the start of the building process.

The façade reliefs on the eastern wing were decorated by Arturo Martini and depicts historical events linked to Christianity, Milan, and Lombardy.In the early 2000s, the palace was restored, and since 2010, it is home to Museo del Novecento, dedicated to 20^th century art, with a strong focus on Italian artists and artistic movements.

Many are drawn here for the renowned collection of Italian Futurist paintings. Most of the works on display are Italian, with a few exceptions by international artists such as Picasso, Mondrian, Klee, Léger, and Matisse. Some rooms are dedicated to individual artists (like Fontana and Morandi) while others offer an exploration of a particular movement, such as Arte povera, post-impressionism, and realism.

The location of the museum means that the visitor will have spectacular views of the Duomo, through the tall windows overlooking the Piazza del Duomo, an intricate part of the palazzo’s architectural signature, making parts of the building appear to be made out of more glass than stone.

Inside, the initial “staircase”, curved like a serpentine (not unlike the Guggenheim in New York) is also a nice detail.

Don’t miss the restaurant and bar on the top floor.