Feltrinelli Porta Volta in Milan by Herzog & de Meuron

If you are hungry for good and quality architecture, then don't miss out on visiting Italy. You might have been advised to visit this country because of its excellent food-which is completely true, but the design and the architecture is what really  "feeds your soul" while there. Letting this be a reason, I would like to introduce you to several big names of architecture and explain how they found themselves inspired by Italy.

Who are Herzog & de Meuron?

They are a Swiss architectural duo,  highly appreciated in the field of architecture. They have been active since 1978 and have been awarded with The Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2001. You can recognize their distinct creations; if a building reminds you of a scaled glass coffee table- like a glass vase or an ashtray, for example- then it's most likely constructed by them!

Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Foundation is one of the major European centers of research and documentation in the fields of historical, political, economic and social science. This would be the official description of "the object" that is based in Milan, but what it represents is much more than this. Even on the official site of the Foundation, you can see a video on how the urban space has been transformed while building this "object".  You can find a visual walk through it, too.

The object is a five storeys' building,  presented through a grid of glazing, that is covering the long, gabled form. This long object forms a big part of the street, called Porta Volta, named after the 16th-century gate of the fortress of the city.

The design of the object, that was built in 2016, is directly inspired by the long, linear Cascina buildings of the traditional rural architecture in Lombardy. This is what I mean when I say that Italy is the everlasting inspiration when it comes to architecture and design. If you're walking around in Mi[lan ](https://www.livetheworld.com/post/travel-in-time-milan-in-15th-century-cbca)and suddenly see the white long structure glazing with a roof melting into the facades, then stop to check it;  the bookstore on the ground floor, as well as the library and the research center on the fifth floor are totally worth visiting!  Some breathtaking architecture is happening there.