Faculty of Biology, State University of Milan, Milan
Vico Magistretti
Francesco Soro
Università degli Studi di Milano
Windows: steel section, painted white
Load-bearing structure: beams and piers in prefab reinforced concrete
Roof: pyramid-shaped, copper sheeting, with cylindrical chimneys (towers); flat roof, copper sheeting, skylights (classrooms)
Façade: prefab concrete panels with white and gold ceramic inserts
Magistretti and Soro won the competition for the design of the Faculty of Biology complex at the State University of Milan. The Faculty consists of three tower buildings housing the research laboratories and departments, and a lower, semicircular building with four classrooms. Paths, corridors and stairs connect the taller buildings centred around a common hallway located in the courtyard, while the classrooms give directly onto Via Golgi. The design of the elevations exploits the emphasis placed on the slightly projecting structure, with bright red reinforced concrete piers and prefab panel walls embellished with white ceramic inserts and - in the central part of the towers - gold-coloured tondi. The height of the infill walls increases from the third floor upwards, thereby reducing the closed surface of the continuous fascia of steel section windows, painted white. The pyramid-shaped roofs of the towers are covered in copper sheeting and crowned by four circular chimneys; the classrooms have a flat copper roof with numerous skylights, with a steel structure. The white and grey chequered polyvinyl floor acts as a backdrop for the semicircular or curvilinear reinforced concrete partition walls; the concierge's desk designed by Magistretti would have been the same shape as the walls, however it was never built.
This project reveals Magistretti's expertise and skill in using the prefab techniques developed by the MBM Meregaglia company. He had already tested these techniques in the more modest residential towers in the Gallaratese neighbourhood (1962-1972) and the San Felice neighbourhood in Segrate (1966-1975).
F. Minervino, A Milano serve un pianterreno, in Corriere della Sera, 27 settembre 1980
S. Giacomoni, Disegno la Milano che cambia, in La Repubblica, 08 gennaio 1985
C. Pauly, Le interviste di AD Vico Magistretti, in AD, dicembre 1982
T. Fania, Giorgio Armani e Vico Magistretti, in Fascicolo 22, giugno 1985
R. Bianchi, Bozza di articolo "I tre volti di Magistretti" per La mia casa, dicembre 1991
M. Gregotti, Il design come diario personale, in Elle Decor 9, settembre 1993
C. Bellini, Il mestiere di architetto, in Habitat Ufficio 21, settembre 1986
V. Magistretti, Relazione di progetto, Facoltà di Biologia, Milano, 1978-81
P. C. Santini, Magistretti: spregiudicatezza e dominio delle forme, in Ottagono 66, settembre 1982
F. Irace, L'ape e l'architetto, in Domus 633, novembre 1982
S. Polano, Guida all'architettura italiana del Novecento, Milano 1991, pp. 156-157
V. Pasca, Vico Magistretti. L'eleganza della ragione, Milano 1991, pp. 114-115
F. Irace, V. Pasca, Vico Magistretti architetto e designer, Milano 1999, pp. 88-89
G. Gramigna, S. Mazza, Milano: un secolo di architettura milanese dal Cordusio alla Bicocca, Milano 2001, p. 454
- unità n. 434 (1 immagine)
- unità n. 362 (28 immagini)
- segnatura: 352 (51 immagini)
- segnatura: 352 (13 immagini)
- segnatura: 352 (118 immagini)
- unità n. 3028 (a-b) (24 immagini)