Ava Shea Feinstein – Design in Context: Milan

In Review: A Bittersweet Farewell to the City of Design | Ava Shea Feinstein 2025

Prior to this trip, I was feeling intensely, creatively burnt out. Project after project, I wasn’t creating out of excitement but rather necessity. Now, at the end of this trip, I can say with confidence that I am brimming with excitement and inspiration for my next projects. I am physically drained but mentally rejuvenated.

The Duomo

The first experience that we had that I will never forget was the Duomo visit. Stepping out of that metro station felt like a movie reveal. The way that the light streamed down the stairs of the metro, so bright you couldn’t see anything beyond. So when I casually ascended the stairs, I was floored when my eyes adjusted. I was met with this towering, resplendent building with more detail then I could possibly begin to comprehend; completely awestruck.

Spazio Rossana Orlandi

The Spazio Rossana Orlandi visit was another experience that left butterflies in my stomach. Each room was intoxicating with the amount of beautiful designs it contained. I was floored by both the design of the exhibition spaces and with the actual pieces that each one contained. When we left, I was practically skipping. One day, I hope to buy from and exhibit in the Spazio. (This was the beginning of the end for my camera roll.)

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Week 3: The Tales of Traveling | Ava Shea Feinstein 2025

This week was so busy and so much fun. Going from the outskirts of Milan to Treviso then Venice; I’ve never felt more worldly. And while the sights were amazing, what really stood out to me this week was the human connection.

The fact that we were able to see so many amazing places and meet so many wonderful people is a true testament to the power of connection. The majority of this trip so far has been made possible because Kate has made such wonderful friends throughout her career. Seeing this group become friends has been so heart warming. Our group has blossomed, and every stop was so exciting and full of playful banter.

Not only that, but there were so many connections with random strangers along the way. There were the lovely tourists at the grave site that took time to chit chat with Kate Cate. The magic waiter from our lunch, showing all of his lovely tricks. Even the owner of the restaurant in Treviso gave us a little tour of her closed bakery. I even met a lovely older couple from Oxford, England at the Biennale who I am going to go visit next month. Watching everyone connect has been so heart warming.

To finish off that week of travel, a couple of us made our way over to Lugano, Switzerland for a day trip. It was absolutely gorgeous (and absolutely expensive). While there, we actually met an American woman who had moved to Lugano 40 some years ago. It was so fun to see her excitement being able to talk about her life’s journey. People just want to connect and I think that has been one of the best parts of this trip so far.

Week 2: Forty-Two Miles in Five Days | Ava Shea Feinstein 2025

So it turns out that when you are in walkable cities you WALK. I have loved being able to get places without needing a car and I think I have been much more observant because of it. There is so much visual diversity within every street that we walk down, both in color and style.

I don’t know if this is because I am walking everywhere and I just don’t as much in Austin, but the streets feel like they are meant to be experienced by people. In Austin (around campus), the buildings have very little embellishment. Most visual excitement can be found inside the buildings, but the outsides are bare bones. In Italy, every single facade has some level of artistry. Each building feels like it is competing with the one next to it while your eyes pull you down the street looking for the next contestant.

Week 1: Grandiose First Impressions | Ava Shea Feinstein 2025

Milan is BEAUTIFUL! As soon as we got off the train from the airport my jaw dropped: the grandiose architecture, the greenery on every building, the COLORS. I think the vibrancy and architectural diversity is what truly blew me away. I can confidently say that I was not ready for the Duomo. Walking up those stairs from the metro with the light beaming in, and seeing that massive, incredibly intricate building; I don’t think I will ever forget that. The closer you got, the more astounding it became. The level of detail wasn’t (and still isn’t) comprehensible. Even as we are just beginning to explore the city, I can tell there are going to be so many amazing things to see and learn. I am beyond excited to explore!

Mapping the City: Bosco Verticale to Federazione del Fasci Milanesi

By: Ava Feinstein, Sophie Leung-Lieu, Samantha de Lemos, and Camila Mascorro

Preliminary Research

BUILDING 1: Bosco Verticale


By: Boeri Studios Pictured are the two towers that are Bosco Verticale in the Porta Nuova district of Milano. This image faces the south side of the tower which is primarily planted with evergreen species to withstand the exposure to the south sun.	By: Boeri Studios Depicted above is a close up picture, highlighting the staggered formation of the balconies. You are able to see the varying degrees of space necessary for each species of tree to grow into its full canopy.


By: Boeri Studios Depicted above is a close up picture, highlighting the staggered formation of the balconies. You are able to see the varying degrees of space necessary for each species of tree to grow into its full canopy.	By: Boeri Studios This top view of one of the balconies demonstrates both the height allowed for full canopy development, as well as the bespoke nature of each of the balconies.

Observations

The Bosco Verticale, otherwise known as the ‘vertical forest’, is a residential tower in Milan’s central Porta Nuova district. The structure consists of two towers, 110 and 76 meters high, and hosts over 20,000 trees and shrubs on its walls. Of this greenery are hundreds of different plant species, distributed according to the sun exposure on the facade.

The vertical forest was designed by Boeri Studio, with architects Stefano Boeri, Gianandrea Barreca, and Giovanni La Varra. The purpose of the building was to contribute to Milan’s efforts of environmental regeneration to densify nature within the city. The vegetation covering the surface of the structure is equivalent to 75,000 square meters of greenery. Because of this, the Bosco Verticale minimizes the city’s carbon footprint, optimizes water management, and contributes to the improvement of the overall quality of life in Milan. The ecosystem allows sunlight to be ‘filtered’ through the building and helps regulate the humidity level and surface temperatures by up to 30 degrees on the Bosco Veticale. This also reduces the energy requirement for air-conditioning inside the residence.

The building walls include overhanging balconies that are staggered, jutting out by about three meters. This design choice was defined to allow for the growth of tree canopies up to three stories high, as the building was created to better condition the predicted plant structures. Apartment complexes on the inside of the building are created with flexible floor plans to accommodate the plants surrounding them. Additionally, the elevators and stairs were placed on the perimeter of the building, as opposed to a traditional placement in the center of the tower.

While the plants are considered a common asset to all tenants in the building, a team of professional gardeners maintains the greenery by climbing the towers with ropes twice a year. It would be interesting to learn more about how residents experience this green space in daily life and whether the concept has influenced other cities to build similar towers. It would also be interesting to explore how sustainable and cost-effective it has proven over time, especially in terms of maintenance and long-term environmental impact.

BUILDING 2: Federazione del Fasci Milanesi


By: Adam Nathanial Furman design Post-war image of the Federazione del Fasci Milanesi, now repurposed as a State Police Commissioner Center, preserving its layered architectural legacy.	By: www.artefascista.it Looking up at the towering façade of Palazzo Castani, the stark verticality and rigid symmetry reflects the authoritarian power structures of the fascist era.


By: www.artefascista.it Historic image of Palazzo Castani at Piazza San Sepolcro, the birthplace of the Fasci di Combattimento, where Mussolini launched the fascist movement in 1919.	By: Fondazione Piero Portaluppi A view of the Bramante courtyard’s loggias, reopened and reconfigured by Portaluppi with classical columns to emphasize order and heritage.

Observations

The Federazione del Fasci Milanesi, also known as Palazzo Castani, is a historical landmark that represents a history with the fascist regime. Located at State Police | Commissioner Center, Piazza S. Sepolcro, 9, 20123 MI, Italy, this building has lived through many different phases of historical lives. Through the work of architect Piero Portaluppi, who designed many of Milan’s most coveted architectural masterpieces, the Federazione del Fasci Milanesi was a display of the history that went on within its walls.Portaluppi was a more abstract architect than most absolutists but maintained elements of the fascist style through his use of symmetry, grand proportions, and monumental forms.

The structure originally dated back to the 15th century under the original ownership of the Castani family, which gave it the name “Palazzo Castani.” It underwent significant transformations throughout the centuries, including an extensive Baroque renovation in the 17th century that added dramatic spatial elements while retaining its Renaissance roots. In the 20th century, Palazzo Castani became a landmark after housing the National Fascist Party led by Benito Mussolini. He used what is now known as the Federazione del Fasci Milanesi as a base for early political activities.

On March 23, 1919, Mussolini gathered around 120 supporters in a hall at Piazza San Sepolcro, this exact location, to officially launch the Fasci di Combattimento, marking the beginning of the fascist movement. The most impactful speech for the Italian fascio was delivered at a building adjacent to Palazzo Castani, linking the address to the origins of Italian Fascism. This era became known as Sansepolcrismo. Between 1935 and 1940, Portaluppi remodeled the building, adding a monumental façade and making architectural interventions that emphasized order and power. One of his key contributions was reopening the loggias on the first floor of the Bramante courtyard, previously walled up, and reconfiguring them with classical columns and spatial symmetry. After World War II, the Federazione del Fasci Milanesi was reimagined and repurposed as the State Police | Commissioner Center, transforming its identity while preserving the telling history of its architectural past.

Citations

Bosco Verticale

“Vertical Forest: Milan.” Stefano Boeri Architetti, 30 Apr. 2025, www.stefanoboeriarchitetti.net/en/project/vertical-forest/.

Visser, M. “The Geography of Vertical Forests: Exploring the Green City.” Utrecht University Student Theses Repository Home, 1 Jan. 1970, studenttheses.uu.nl/handle/20.500.12932/35208.

Federazione del Fasci Milanesi

Studio. (2023, February 1). Piero Portaluppi, dall’italia del ventennio alla milano di instagram. Rivista Studio. https://www.rivistastudio.com/piero-portaluppi-milano/ https://www.rivistastudio.com/piero-portaluppi-milano/

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, December 28). Palazzo castani. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_Castani https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_Castani

Wikimedia Foundation. (2024, December 27). Piero Portaluppi. Wikipedia. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piero_Portaluppi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piero_Portaluppi

Arte Italiana Del, www.artefascista.it/milano__CdF__primigenia__arte__italiana__del.htm. Accessed 12 May 2025 https://www.artefascista.it/milano__CdF__primigenia__arte__italiana__del.htm .