The concept for this Milanese ‘Design Forum’ was to excel the ‘Made in Italy’ quality that was to be taught, executed and marketed right in this facility in the center of Milan. The Forum was to be accessible to students, designers and artists from all over the world. The Design Forum would be a studio factory of creativity and talent with all the resources to manufacture, promote and sell the designs conceived with the Milanese mentality of quality and finesse. The site presented few urban opportunities to link two sectors of the city which gave the back to each other; therefore with the benefit of some street axis I projected a Forum- a true open public space, where the city meets the designers and their studios.
Three main buildings frame an open plaza: the first building is private for the schooling of the designers, a second semi-private building hosts a showroom and designers studios on the upper floors, and a third, a low and unique volume which hosts the open café bar and a shop greeting visitors and tourists.
The Milano Design Forum is a close attempt to provide a prosperous urban infill project in the heart of an ancient city, while promoting and procuring the talent of designers worldwide to come to Milan to learn and work with the best talent Milan has to offer.