After years of neglect, Garage Traversi is ready for its rebirth. To celebrate the building’s new life, Studio Job have designed a Pop Art inspired love letter for Milan on the stunning Rationalist facade of the Garage. The artwork, promoted by MonteNapoleone District, is supported by Hayrish, the British private equity fund which acquired Garage Traversi early in 2017, aiming to transform it in the ultimate Milanese luxury hub. Milan based architects SPI Studio carefully planned the transformation of the venue, giving it new life and highlighting its role as a cultural landmark.
Garage Traversi is one of the beacons of Rationalism in Milan, one of the first buildings made of reinforced concrete in the city. It was built in 1938 – at the corner between Piazza San Babila and Corso Venezia – by the architect Giacomo De Min who, although the irregular lot, designed a plan attributable to the shape of a fan and conceived a distinct elevation between the two lower floors (identified by straight lines and masonry) and the upper six floors of the parking, where curves lines and glass surfaces dominate.
The graphic design, clearly inspired by the iconic America Pop-Art visuals, combines the well-known themes in Studio Jobs’ imagination – the lips – with a love declaration to the city of Milan in the form a comic balloon. “Oh oh Milano, I love you too…” invites visitors to share their feelings through social media – through the hashtags #ohohmilano and #garagetraversi – and heralds the reintroduction of the iconic building to the city.
MonteNapoleone Design Experience 2018 Garage Traversi Via Bagutta 2, Milan 17 – 22 April, 2018