When first commissioned by Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli to design Fondazione Prada’s new space in Largo Asarco, OMA set out to “expand the repertoire of spatial typologies in which art can be exhibited and shared with the public.” The result, an “unusually diverse environment” staged within a historic 20th-century distillery south of Milan’s city center that goes beyond the traditional white museum box.
Set to complete in May, Fondazione Prada’s new venue will add around 11,000-square-meters of flexible exhibition space with the addition of three new structures - an auditorium, temporary exhibition building and a nine-floor exhibition tower - along with the renovation of the industrial site’s existing buildings. Each space will be interconnected by courtyards.
The project, which was first unveiled in 2008, is part of a long ongoing relationship between Prada and OMA. Significant collaborations between the two powerhouse companies include the recent “Infinity Palace” and Rem Koolhaas’ fantastical “Prada Transformer.”
News via OMA and Fondazione Prada