In Milan, the firm Lazzarini Pickering Architetti is redefining interior architecture by designing a hybrid home-museum. An exceptional space where contemporary art and residential living coexist within a minimalist, adaptable environment that deeply honors its industrial past.
A fluid design in the heart of Isola
In the vibrant Isola neighborhood, Lazzarini Pickering Architetti is transforming a former silver factory into a space of rare uniqueness: a place that bridges the gap between a private residence and an art gallery. Named Casa-Museo Molinario-Colombari, this ambitious project brings together the collections of Ettore Molinario and Rossella Colombari. Here, photography, sculpture, and design interact with evident fluidity, without the slightest hierarchy. The ambition was not simply to create a setting, but to bring to life an organism capable of embracing both art and everyday life in a single breath.
The architecture was conceived as a seamless continuum, rejecting the mere juxtaposition of rooms. The design is based on a duplicated circular geometry, orchestrating circulation while multiplying perspectives. This spatial rigor lends the space an almost theatrical flow, which brilliantly avoids the pitfalls of confusion or mere stylistic showmanship.
Between theatricality and restraint
The project majestically capitalizes on the height of the original industrial space. A mezzanine, designed to house the private areas, is accessed by two staircases and an elegant suspended gallery. The period columns and openings, far from being left untouched, have been reinterpreted as true framing elements. Concealed doors and retractable curtains offer complete modularity, allowing the residence to shift imperceptibly from domestic privacy to the excitement of exceptional cultural events.
This masterful staging, however, eschews gratuitous spectacle. The walls, shelves, and even the railings serve as subtle display surfaces for a collection spanning nearly 1,000 square meters. A sunken living room, walkways, and a series of steps form a contemporary “cavea”—an ideal gathering space for social gatherings and artistic presentations.
An Enhanced Industrial Heritage
One of the major strengths of this project lies in its great structural simplicity. By enhancing the existing structure, the architects minimized demolition and limited the use of new materials. The renovation of the Casa-Museo incorporates rigorous seismic standards, the installation of solar panels, and state-of-the-art technical systems for climate and acoustic control.
These technical requirements serve a dual purpose: to preserve the spirit of this historic Milanese industrial structure while ensuring optimal conservation conditions for sensitive artworks. Natural light—the true cornerstone of the project—filters through new skylights and a facade that opens widely onto an interior courtyard. It illuminates these spacious volumes with a softness that elegantly contrasts with the gaudy lighting that sometimes plagues modern institutions.
A Cultivated Sense of Home
The Casa-Museo is the result of a rich personal history shared by its owners, an essence that permeates every space. The space breaks free from the classical codes of both the art gallery and the traditional bourgeois residence to invent its own language. It subtly borrows from both worlds, while maintaining a distance of supreme elegance.
Two secret spaces complete this composition: a highly secure archive room and a pool with dark reflections, almost buried at the heart of the structure. These elements heighten the delicate tension between exhibition and seclusion, between openness to the public and an intimate sanctuary. It is undoubtedly here that the project’s ultimate refinement lies: in a highly deliberate discretion that orchestrates the art of observing without ever imposing a preconceived perspective.