Davne 1959. godine savremenu umetnost u Italiji i Milanu promovisao je i brazilski arhitekta, Oscar Niemeyer sa projektom za Arnold-a Mondadori, jednog od dva najveća izdavača u Italiji. Nešto kasnije, 1975. otvoreno je novo predstavništvo izdavačke kuće Mondadori koja i danas predstavlja uspomenu na velikana, nedavno preminulog u svojoj 105-oj godini. Oscar je jedan od prvih velikana arhitekture 20-og veka koji je koristio armirani beton.
Inspiraciju za svoje “Oskarove krive”, kako su ih nazivali ljubitelji, nalazio je u devojkama na plaži u rodnom gradu Rio de Janeiro-u.
I kod samog Mondadorie se u to vreme mogla videti smelost za inovativne Oscar-ove ideje. Ljudi su govorili: “Neće funkcionisati!”. Uprkos svemu, različit razmak između stubova objekta, svojom jednostavnošću i minimalističkom lepotom, i danas simboliše inovaciju velikana prošlog veka.
Puni i prazni prostori uvek idu zajedno, čineći harmoniju u arhitekturi. Unutrašnjost objekta predstavlja jednu celinu bez podela na kancelarije za direktora, sekretaricu,… što predstavlja još jednu inovaciju koja, kako sam Niemeyer tvrdi, ne bi mogla da funkcioniše u Brazilu.
Danas, pola veka kasnije, objekat slične namene, ovaj put u vlasništvu Fondacije Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, gradi se nešto bliže centru grada, na lokaciji Porta Nuova.
Kultura koju ova izdavačka kuća promoviše posredstvom svojih izdanja proširiće se za još jednu lokaciju, koja bi po planu trebala biti gotova do 2015. godine. Na otvaranju ovogodišnjeg sajma nameštaja svetska zvezda arhitekture, Herzog Jacques predstavio je rad studija iz Bazela. Predavanje na milanskom univerzitetu, Politecnico di Milano i otvaranje izložbe u galeriji Spazio FMG per l’architettura omogućili su zainteresovanim građanima, ali i njegovim posetiocima da zamisle i shvate pokrete koje je ovaj umetnik sa svojim partnerom, Pierre-om de Meuron, namenio ovom gradu.
Od španskog zida iz XV veka danas se mogu videti samo ostaci u vidu kapija koje simbolišu ulazak u grad.
Jedna od kapija, pod nazivom Porta Volta, kroz koju se, ulicom Alessandro Volta, grad povezuje sa Cimitero Monumentale (itl.Cimitero Monumentale = Monumentalo groblje, Aleja velikana).
Ovaj deo grada prolazi kroz velike urbane reforme što je svakako uticalo i na Feltrinelli-ev izbor lokacije za buduću fondaciju.
Ideja za novi objekat inspirisana je jednostavnošću milanske arhitekture (Ospedale Maggiore, Rotonda della Besana Lazaretto i Castello Forzesco). Inspiracija dolazi i od klasične Cascine (itl. cascina = farma, seosko domaćinstvo), linearnog objekta koji je kao uzor služio i velikanu Aldo-u Rossi za projektovanje stambenog kompleksa Gallaratese u predgrađu Milana.
Uskim prolazom duži deo kompleksa je podeljen na dva nezavisna dela od kojih jedan obuhvata kancelarije, a drugi je javne namene. Na prizemlju će se naći glavni ulaz, kafeterija i knjižara, na prvom spratu duple spratne visine biće multi-funkcionalna sala, a na drugom kancelarije. Na poslednjem spratu, ispod samog pokrivača objekta, zainteresovanim korisnicima će biti na raspolaganju čitaonica koja će biti povezana sa značajnom istorijskom arhivom fondacije koja će se naći u podrumskim prostorijama.
U sklopu kompleksa se pored samih objekata nalazi i prekfalifikacija urbanih, zelenih površina koje se nalaze neposredno uz objekte. Kompleks predstavlja važan arhitektonsko-urbanistički projekat za grad, ali će to svakako biti još jedan reper prepoznavanja milanske arhitekture.
Promovisanje arhitekture ovih izdavača ne završava se samo izdavanjem knjiga o poznatim arhitektima i njihovim delima već i kroz ove velelepne objekte možemo uživati u velikanima svetske arhitekture. Izgradnja Niemeyer-ovog objekta nam je pokazala značaj knjiga pre pola veka, a Feltrinelli-jeva je potvrdila da značaj knjige, i pored modernih elektronskih uređaja za informisanje, nije izgubila svoju vrednost.
Way back in 1959 the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer promoted the contemporary art in Milan, Italy, on the project for Arnold Mondadori, one of the two largest publishers in Italy. Finally, in 1975 was opened a new head office building of the publishing company Mondadori, which today present the memory of this great architect, who recently passed away in his 105-years old. Oscar Niemeyer was one of the first great architects of the 20th century who used ferroconcrete.
The inspiration for “Oscar’s curve”, as the fans call his work, was coming from the girls on the beach in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro.
Also Mondadori at the time looked boldness and innovation at the Oscar’s idea. People said, “It will not work”. Nevertheless, the different distance between columns of buildings, its simplicity and minimalistic beauty, today symbolizes the great innovation of the last century.
Full and empty spaces always go together, making harmony in architecture. Inside of the building is one whole space, without dividing the office of the Director, a secretary and others which is another innovation that, as Niemeyer said, couldn’t work in Brazil.
Today, half a century later, the new building with the same function, this time owned by Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Foundation, is building something closer to the city center. The location is the Porta Nuova.
The Culture that the label promotes through its publications will be expanded to another location that should be completed in 2015. At the opening of this year’s furniture fair “Salone del mobile” in Milan, world star of architecture, Jacques Herzog presented the work of the Basel study. He had the lecture at the Milan’s University Politecnico di Milano and opened the exhibition in the gallery ‘Spazio FMG per l’architettura’ that allowed all interested citizens and its visitors to visualize and understand the movements of his and his partner’s, Pierre de Meuron, work for the city of Milan.
From the Spanish wall that was constructed in the fifteenth century nowadays we can only see ruins in the form of gates that symbolize entrance into the city.
One gate is called Porta Volta, through which the street Alessandro Volta connect the city with Cimitero Monumentale (itl.Cimitero Monumentale = Monumental cemetery).
This part of town is undergoing major urban reforms, which certainly affected the Feltrinelli’s site selection for future foundation.
The idea for the new building was inspired by the simplicity of architecture of Milan (Ospedale Maggiore, Rotonda della Besana Lazaretto i Castello Forzesco). The inspiration also comes from the classic Cascine (itl. Cascina = farm), linear object that served as a model to the great Italian architect Aldo Rossi for the design of a residential complex in the interland of Milan Gallaratese.
A narrow gap separates the Fondazione from Edificio Feltrinelli reflecting two autonomous constructions which are simultaneously part of an overall whole. The ground floor of the Fondazione accommodates the main entrance, cafeteria and book store, followed by the double height multi-functional space on the first floor, and an office area on both, the second and third floors. The reading room on top of the Fondazione offers researchers and interested public the opportunity to study documents from the historical collection stored in the secure underground archive.
The complex includes also re-qualification of urban, green areas that are close to the buildings. The complex is an important architectural and urban design for the city, and it will certainly be another landmark of architecture in Milan.
Promoting the architecture of these publishers does not finish with the publishing of the books about famous architects and their work. Through these magnificent structures we can also enjoy the great architecture of the world. The construction of Niemeyer’s building showed us, half a century ago, the importance of books and Feltrinelli is giving the confirmation that the importance of the book, in spite of modern electronic devices for information, has not lost its value.
