VILLA NECCHI CAMPIGLIO MILAN / April 19, 2012 by Andy Goldsborough

On my recent trip to Chiavari, I also spent a few days in Milan and visited the magnificent Villa Necchi.
This architectural masterpiece at no. 12 Mozart was designed by Piero Portaluppi between 1932 and 1935 for Angelo Campiglio and the Necchi sisters, Nedda and Gigina, Angelo’s wife.They were important producers of cast iron and enameled sewing machines. In the mid 1940’s Tomaso Buzzi was brought in to renovate and decorate the house as the Necchi family’s tastes changed. Thankfully, in 2001 the residence was given to the Italian Fund for the Environment and opened to the public in 2008. Now, you can take a tour of the entire house and examine every detail as I did. Following are the images I took in sequential order capturing a truly inspiring tour of the Villa Necchi.

Approach through the garden from via Mozart

Entry hall with L’amante Morta (Deceased Lover) by Arturo Martini at foot of the stairs

The library featuring rosewood bookcases and game table by Guglelmo Ulrich

The intricate stucco ceiling of the library

The veranda with travertine and green marble in a pattern of wide interwoven bands

Custom lapis lazuli table in the veranda

Light filtering through the double glass wall greenhouse with brass radiator detail

Detail of window hardware at double walled glass panels

German silver sliding doors from the veranda into the library

Dining room centerpiece by Alfredo Ravasco in lapis lazuli, agate and coral

Butler’s pantry (second office) exposes china designed by Portaluppi as well

The gallery separating the sisters’ bedrooms identically composed

Guest bedroom with walnut and briarwood furnishings

Bathroom with star window detail in marble

Tilda Swinton starred in “I Am Love” last year in which the house played an important role.

Link to the Villa Necchi Campiglio Museum
The Villa Necchi

LOUIS KAHN / KIMBELL ART MUSEUM / April 16, 2012 by Andy Goldsborough

I’ve just returned from Dallas, Texas and visited the Kimbell Art Museum by Louis Kahn. I’ve always admired Kahn’s work and studied the building in architecture school, but visiting the museum in person took my admiration to a whole new level after seeing the details of this incredible building designed in 1972.

Kahn designed the museum with the idea of creating a space that evoked “the luminosity of silver” and that was certainly what I felt on this cloudy day looking at the Impression show currently on view.

Maillol’s “l’ air” cast bronze 1967, designed 1938 in the courtyard

The concrete, unfilled travertine and stainless steel used in the construction of the museum further expand on this vision and come together beautifully.

Concrete vault and stainless steel lighting diffuser detail

Stainless steel and mesh lighting diffuser

The craftsmanship of the interior and exterior create galleries that are illuminated in a soft but effective way with no glare from the natural light that comes in through slits in the tops of the vaults and washes the concrete ceiling. Gently curved stainless steel and mesh panels with concealed lighting further enhance this silvery light quality throughout the galleries.

One of the details that I found most intriguing was the stainless steel handrail which is made from one piece of formed stainless steel and felt so incredible to my hand. The light that reflects on the shiny surface of the handrail travels all the way from the upper to the lower levels, truly inspiring!

Double vault view with handrail in foreground

Renzo Piano, who worked in Kahn’s office has been chosen to design a new building extenision scheduled for completion in 2013. The building will also utilize concrete and stainless steel as the primary construction materials. I highly recommend a trip to the Kimbell Museum of Art and The Modern Museum of Art by Tadao Ando across the street and will write further about it in my next post.