Novecentopiùcento

Park Associati proposes a light and discreet aerial connection, a suspended square that connects two the twin buildings both in form and content. The museum is doubling in size and, thanks to the extreme space flexibility of its new 'container', where even the floors can be moved and remodelled, art knows no bounds.

The design idea for the expansion of the Museo del Novecento, which until now has been housed in only one of the two buildings overlooking Piazza del Duomo that make up the Arengario, emerges from a reading of the built landscape and from the desire to leave unchanged the elevations of the two buildings that are a historical testimony of the modern era in Milan.

Comprising a closed central part and an open-air section that becomes a belvedere overlooking the city, the 'suspended square' is shaped to be perceived as a single thin line, almost like a sheet floating between the two Arengari.

Its wooden structure is covered with interlocking rhomboidal panels made of recycled aluminium. Seen from the covered square that is created on the ground floor between the two buildings, the roof's surface plays with the symmetry and reflection of the buildings, concealing and revealing the façades, presenting a constantly changing self-portrait.

While respecting the existing structure, the project follows the principles of 'Design for Disassembly', resulting in a reversible intervention.

The interior of the museum is independent and flexible. In the main exhibition spaces, modular sliding floors promote maximum adaptability, allowing for exhibitions of varied size and configuration.

The linear development of the new staircase creates a visual opening towards Piazza Duomo, this 'Promenade' acts as an access to the various rooms and is at the same time an integral part of the exhibition itinerary.

The new Museo del Novecento is a strongly recognisable presence that establishes a dialogue between buildings, public space and the community.