What to see and where to visit
Although Milan is a fairly small city, it has many districts, each with its own identity. These are the areas where their residents are heavily populated. My district is Brera, so when I need to think, I go to the courtyard of Brera Academy of Fine Artswhich is housed in the same buildings as the Pinacoteca di Brera gallery. Or I take a walk Botanical Garden. On other occasions, I go to Via Monte Napoleone. People, shop windows and this kind of retail amusement park all help me focus. If you are a shopaholic, you should definitely go there. Another place I like to visit on my way home from the studio is Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II (Italy’s oldest active shopping gallery). It’s like a giant collage – a collection of characters I enjoy observing. At the Via San Marco street market, I always stumble across a rich mix of people and, every Monday and Thursday, I buy flowers there for the studio and my home. If you are interested, you should visit the Romanesque-style Basilica of Sant’AmbrogioOr one of the two basilicas in the Parco delle Basilica. Or you might like to wander the gardens of the Università degli Studi di Milano Statelle and breathe in the atmosphere of the grounds of the large, grand building known as the Ca’Granda, founded as a hospital in the late 1400s, intact for more than 500 years. If I need a moment of peace, then Braden’s National Library A wonderful place to pause and reflect.
I think there are two places in Milan that show the extent of modernism Milan Triennale And ADI Design Museum. They offer a more nuanced picture in the city life district than places like Tre Torre or Piazza Gai Olenti. In these museums, you can see the depth of modernism and learn about its wider geographical roots. For me, Milan’s modernity is about a city that is not only tied to its past, but also one that uses its past as a necessary element for development. We are not a classic historical city. Milan was founded around 600 BCE but, despite this, we do not base the power and beauty of this city on our history alone. The joy of being in Milan is the presence, not necessarily the physical, that nourishes us: the exhibitions, the shops, the work that is done. The highlight is the annual Salone del Mobile, where my new products for Alpi, Boffi, Glass Italia, B&B Italia, Kartel and Porro – among others – will be on show.
