Armani/Silos
| Established | April 30, 2015 |
|---|---|
| Location |
via Bergognone, 40 Milan, Lombardy, Italy |
| Public transit access |
Milan Metro: MM2 - Porta Genova Milan Tramways: Tram 14, Stop Piazza del Rosario |
| Website |
www |
Armani/Silos ia a fashion art museum in Milan dedicated to the Armani style.
History
The exhibition space was opened in 2015 and is a living, open-to-the-public space illustrating Giorgio Armani’s professional experience, revealing a rich heritage of unique know-how: a space in which to design the future, a showcase of new attitudes and lifestyles that capture changing times and cultures. Armani/Silos*, located at Via Bergognone 40, is in what was originally the granary of a major international company. ‘I decided to call it Silos because this building used to store food, which is, of course, essential for life. For me, just as much as food, clothes are also a part of life,’ explains Giorgio Armani. Following the renovation, the building, constructed in 1950, measures around 4,500 square metres on four levels. The designer conceived and oversaw the renovation project himself.
Collection
The opening exhibition, covering all four floors of the building, offers an overview of the designer’s career, including 600 outfits and 200 accessories from Giorgio Armani’s collections from 1980 to the present. The selection is divided up on the basis of a number of themes that have inspired and continue to inspire the designer’s creative work:
- Ground floor: Daywear
- First floor: Exoticism
- Second floor: Colour Schemes
- Third floor: Light
Architecture
The search for simplicity and a preference for regular geometric shapes have produced a sober yet monumental building. Going against the trend in architecture today for a more elaborate aesthetic, this building achieves rational form as response to practical needs, with spaces demonstrating respect for the original architecture. The renovation project therefore preserves the building’s unusual original shape, recalling a beehive, a metaphor for industriousness, thus reinforcing the identification of the new exhibition space with Giorgio Armani’s creative dynamism. The designer also demonstrates his aesthetic philosophy of striving for simplicity and eliminating unnecessary ornamentation and everything that is superfluous. The only decorative element distinguishing the project is a ribbon of windows all around the building’s perimeter, like a crown, defining its compact mass. Inside, the building is organised on the basis of a basilica layout: an open space four floors high with two levels of naves overlooking it on either side. The ceilings are painted black, in contrast to the grey cement floors, and reveal not only the iron structure of the new floor slabs but also all the electrical installations for heating, cooling and lighting the building. The central staircase linking the four levels and organising the exhibition route passes through a vertical opening. The foyer presents a simple glass facade with a light system. The space includes also a gift shop and an open-plan indoor coffee shop; it also houses a digital archive of sketches, technical drawings and material on the prêt-à-porter Giorgio Armani and couture Giorgio Armani Privé collections intended for researchers and fans who want to find out more about Giorgio Armani’s work and style. Located on the top floor, the archive is open for free consultation and features a unique cataloguing system. Workstations, touchscreen tables and a screening area are the tools available to the public. The archive contains approximately 1,000 outfits categorized by seasons and collections, and images of 2,000 garments and accessories, as well as numerous sketches, fashion show and backstage videos, images taken from the Emporio Armani Magazine and iconic advertising photos.
References
External links