Entryways Of Milan. Ingressi Di Milano

First impressions count, especially in Milan. In this unprecedented photographic journey, editor Karl Kolbitz opens the door to 144 of the city’s most sumptuous entrance halls, captivating in their diversity and splendour. Until now hidden behind often sober facades, these vibrant Milanese entrances are revealed as dazzling examples of Italian modernism, mediating public and private space with vivid configurations of colour and form, from juxtaposed stone floors to minimalist geometric murals.
The collection spans buildings from 1920 to 1970 and showcases the work of some of the city’s most illustrious architects and designers, including Giovanni Muzio, Gio Ponti, Piero Portaluppi and Luigi Caccia Dominioni, as well as non-pedigree architecture of equal impact and interest. Photographs for the publication were taken exclusively by Delfino Sisto Legnani, Paola Pansini and Matthew Billings, each evoking the entrances with individual sensitivity and a stylistic interplay of detailed shots – such as stones, door handles and handrails – with larger architectural vistas.
The images are accompanied by concise contributions from Penny Sparke, Fabrizio Ballabio, Lisa Hockemeyer, Daniel Sherer, Brian Kish and Grazia Signori, who bring a wealth of expertise in architecture, design and natural stone to bear in guiding the reader through the applied materials and fixtures, as well as the art-historical and social implications of each of the entries. As much an architectural guide to the city as an aesthetic study, the book provides the exact address and an annotated map of Milan for all the featured entries, as well as the name of the architect and the date of construction.
In the well-documented field of 20th-century Italian design, Kolbitz has crossed the threshold and created a new area of ​​inquiry in Milanese modernism. With the rigor of its multifaceted research, its serene photography, and the spaciousness of its prominent corridors, this is a stimulating new reference work and an inside look at the city’s design DNA in high and low architecture.