Every travel in time includes a past and a future. It is about time -after having presented Milan in the 15th century- to now introduce you to something slightly futuristic; a sneak peek in the future, the Sci-fi piazza dedicated to Gae Aulenti. If you are fan of the modern architecture and you are visiting Milan, along with this piazza, I highly recommend visiting The Vertical Forest.
Who is Gae Aulenti?
She was a very influential Italian architect that died in 2012 - two years before the completion of the piazza's project. She was a professor at the prestigious Politecnico di Milano University and strongly believed that the atmosphere in the space is made by the person itself. She was best known for several large-scale museum projects, such as the Musée d'Orsay in Paris (1980–86), the Contemporary Art Gallery at the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the restoration of Palazzo Grassi in Venice. This very important figure in the modern architecture and one of the few females in that time will be remembered for her simple advice:
Advice to whoever asks me how to make a home is to not have anything, just a few shelves for books, some pillows to sit on. And then, to take a stand against the ephemeral, against passing trends...and to return to lasting values
Little more about the spot
This landmark new square sits at the heart of the Porta Nuova Garibaldi, adjacent to Milan’s main train station. Because of its strategic position, it is considered a key part for one of Italy’s largest regeneration projects. This spot is stylish and beautiful with sculptural pieces including a continuous flowing circle of seating surrounding, a huge reflecting pool- 60 meters in diameter- that reflects the colors of the changing seasons and other surrounding buildings. The pool cascades down two floors. The sound of the water lowers down the sound of the surrounding traffic and creates three beautiful oval cascades that bring daylight and natural ventilation to spaces below.
If you, just like me, love wandering in public spaces, enjoying street arts, coffee and snacks from the nearest local bakery, reading a book, or just admiring the street fashion of the Italians piazzas, this is definitely the place to be. This one in particular, offers a surreal space experience.
Picture © Credit to: Dexterino86
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Zlata Golaboska
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