Carla Garcia Leija – Week 3 | A Love Letter to Carlo Scarpa

Everyone say, “Thank you Carlo Scarpa, I love you Carlo Scarpa!!”

This week was busy! We walked a lot, saw a lot, learned a lot; my designer heart is full.

La Scala was gorgeous – the space was beautiful, as was the performance, but I also loved dressing up and going out with everyone. There’s something really amusing and entertaining about seeing people in a way you’re not accustomed to seeing them, like we unlocked new outfits for everyone’s characters.

If our trip to Treviso and Venezia had not happened, this post would’ve been a love letter to Achille Castiglioni. Achille and Giovanna have such a youthful spirit to them, and their love for the Castiglioni craft is so evident in everything we saw at the studio museum. To hear that Achille designed things specifically for his children and his wife is so compelling; he loved to the point of invention. The studio museum is a reminder to nurture the brain of your inner child and to let them be present in the work you create, something I’ve forgotten to do lately.

As a former theatre lighting nerd, the Artemide visit was so exciting to me. I love their attitude towards light – to them it is a tangible thing that flows and can be molded. They’ve tamed light. I have infinite respect for the amount of thought and work that happens before a lighting fixture even reaches shelves.

Tipoteca was beyond entertaining for me. I am not the best or the most active type designer, but by proxy to Carley Law, it was so fun to see it all. I loved making a poster with everyone – this is co-design! I think the moment where we all clapped for each other as we printed will be one that reminds me how special our cohort is, and how much I’ll miss everyone once this is over.

Of course, the thing that made this week so special was Carlo Scarpa’s work. Seeing him at Brion, Negozio Olivetti, and Biennale was such a treat. You can just tell when he’s the brain behind a building! His references to Japanese architecture, as well as his details in corners, edges, and movement in stillness make his creations so unique.

I recently learned that his peers referred to him as “Professor,” rather than “Architect:” because of his refusal to take the Italian pro forma professional exam post-WWII, he was not allowed to call himself an architect. I think the title suits him well – we’ve learned a lot from him.

In this blog post, I would also like to apologize to anyone who was in my vicinity while we were at Biennale. I’m sorry if I freaked out too much. It was like Disneyland to me. There was so much dialogue about placemaking (USA), biospheres (Belgium), the role of design in today’s climate (Hungary), and other fascinating topics. Cathryn Ploehn would’ve loved Biennale, and trust, I will be writing to her about this. The exhibitions here were immersive and inviting, perfect timing as I begin to think about capstone.

While not part of our scheduled programming, some friends and I went to Lugano, Switzerland this weekend! I had a wonderful time slowing down.

This week was exactly the kind of thing that makes me feel awe and respect for the designers that came before me, and excitement for what my peers and I will create moving forward. There’s nothing else I’d rather do than design.

Week 3

Carlo Scarpa was a renowned Italian architect deeply influenced by Venetian culture, its materials, landscape, and history as well as Japanese design. He translated his passion for history, regional identity, and craftsmanship into innovative glasswork, furniture, and architectural details. This week, I had the opportunity to visit 4 of his architectural designs, the Brion, the Negozio Olivetti, the Fondazione Querini, and finally the exhibition of Venezuela at the Biennale and all of the experiences was truly fascinating. What stood out most was his meticulous attention to detail and the way he played with form, using gaps, ledges, and carefully cut shapes to create layered spaces. His work offers rich, multidimensional perspectives that make each site feel alive and thoughtfully composed.

Week 2 – Spaces That Speak – Isabelle Cloeter

During my class trip to Treviso and Venice this week from Milan, I found myself unexpectedly pulled back to my first semester in college in the school of architecture. As I stepped into the Brion Cemetery in Treviso and the elegant store of Otivelli in Venice, I was struck by the memory of Professor Snyder’s lecture in my Design 1 studio, learning about Tadao Ando’s Azuma House. 

Back then, the Azuma House felt abstract: a stark concrete box in Osaka with a courtyard that was caved in the center. But the words that Professor Snyder lectured to my studio stuck with me, how Ando used materials and space not just for the safety and shelter of a home but to create a feeling. That conversation gave me a thought in my head, architecture has a purpose to make an emotional and sensory experience whether we realize it or not. Architects are store tellers for individuals that walk through space. 

Now a few years later, walking through the layered textures of Carlo Scarpa’s work from the craftsmanship of the Otivelli storefront to the spiritual geometry of the Brion Cemetery. I felt my ideas come full circle. Scarpa and Ando are from different cultures and time periods, but they slightly overlap. Both used architecture as a medium of silence, reflection, storytelling and material poetry. 

Each space is very different from a commercial store, cemetery and home all invite you to slow down and take a moment to enjoy the moment in the quiet space. The Olivelli store, while in one of the most fast paced areas in Venice, finds a way to make a retail space be intimate and slow paced. The Brio Cemetery has flowing water, thresholds that are gentle and areas to sit and reflect. The Azuma house, though I have never visited in person, during Professor Snyders lecture I could feel a sense like I was in space based on the way he talked about the calm and elevated space. All three of these spaces use light, texture, materiality and spatial rhythm to connect the body with the mind. You feel these spaces when you walk through them. 

Those two days in Venice and Treviso reminded me of why I fell in love with design and how many spaces, while from different times and areas of the country, can both tell a story. Architecture has the ability to hold memory, to speak across many time and spaces, and to shape how we see the world around us.

 

Week 3

This week, between Teatro alla Scala, the Alfa Romeo museum, Kartell museum, the Brion cemetery, and Tipoteca, an important theme that stuck out to me was the preservation of the past. An important theme in my walk between Torre Velasca and Torre Branca was the tension between modernity and tradition, and in Milan the physical manifestation of this phenomena has inured to our benefit; we are able to participate in the marriage between history and progress. Yet, it is important to preserve a portion of the past in its entirety so that we can continue to experience its beauty and see how we have developed as a society. Each one of aforementioned experiences and activities of the past week has done this, either through preservation (leaving the opera and typography untouched in their grandeur and honoring the deceased) or display (showing the evolution of Kartell plastics and Alpa Romeo cars). To move forward together in a productive, fruitful way, we must remember that it entails vibrant paradox: both conservation and progress.

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.

Joy in the little moments of Milan

My first full week in Milan was full to the brim: of learning, traveling, and being inspired.

We visited several museums, studios, and galleries, my favorites of which were Spazio Rossana Orlandi, FM Studio, and the ADI Design Museum. I was so inspired by some of them that it made me want to switch career paths! I also really enjoyed taking Italian language classes this past week as well- I’ve been trying to use Italian as much as possible while I’m here and have finally gotten through a few interactions successfully without English! I thought it was really interesting to learn about Italian hand gestures; I had no idea they had so many meanings! At the end of the week, I traveled to Monaco and Nice and had an adventurous time exploring two new countries for the first time on rapid day trips.

As much as I have enjoyed our planned events and classes, I have found so much joy in the random, spontaneous experiences I’ve had so far! Below are some pictures and sketches from casual day to day moments that I’ve been loving:

Getting caught in a thunderstorm at the Duomo and capturing this photo:

Lightning strikes over the Duomo. Photo by Sandhya Iyer

Train getting delayed from Lake Como and getting a delicious apple tart to enjoy while sketching some of my classmates:

This little baby on our way back from Como:

My favorite coffee so far at a spontaneous coffee stop on our Art Nouveau tour:

Here’s to more inspiring educational events this week as well as wonderful unplanned moments in between!

Swiss Alps and the Local Experience

This week I experienced traveling by train in a foreign country! We went to the Swiss border town, Aosta, which enchanted us with its quaint streets and quiet restaurants. The Alps directly peeked through the narrow streets, which was one of the most beautiful sights I’ve seen this trip. The food was uniquely comforting and warm to contrast the vast landscape, we had rich fondue and bouncy gnocchi. Before our weekend trip, a small group trip to a coffee shop stood out to me during the week. In the middle of our walking tour, the group decided to stop at a local coffee shop decorated as if it were from a storybook. It had exposed wooden tables and fruits and vegetables hanging throughout the small storefront, creating a rustic and elegant atmosphere. The coffee was a perfect pair to the people watching, and the feeling of community within our group reminded me of the kinships created thus far on this trip.

Carla Garcia Leija – Week 2 | A new layer of Milan

I already knew Milan was a wonderful place, but it becomes so much better once you get past the jetlag!

This past week, I genuinely had a chance to experience the city through all the tours, outings, and gelatos. Some of the highlights, for me, were Lake Como and our tour to Studio FM Milan. Meeting with Cristiano Bottino was perhaps my favorite thing so far. I LOVED the way he told stories about his work. I was able to dissect the framework – I will be using it to update my portfolio soon.

Recently, an employee at a shop asked me what my favorite part of Milan was. I said the public transit. She smiled wide; I think this was the correct answer. I’m so grateful by how easy it is to get around, either by walking, metro, or tram. It’s inconvenient to have a car. I wish Austin had this level of accessibility to public transport!

It’s a gift to be surrounded by design, and in the company of such good people. It’s helped me breathe new life into my craft and discipline. I can’t wait to see how it reshapes my work.

 

Week 2 Dominik Puente 2025

This was our first full week in Milan, and it’s already been one of my favorite weeks ever. The Italian classes were really helpful. I’ve slowly started to understand more and more, also I began ordering and trying to have conversations in Italian which has definitely added to the immersive atmosphere of the trip. 

This week, I also spent a lot of time on my sketchbook and began paying extra attention to chairs. I think I’ve developed a new obsession. I’ve become more aware of my surroundings and started appreciating the little details. I began recognizing some chairs and noticed them being used in a different context.

Over the weekend, we went to France. Although it was still very close to the border, hearing people speak French and navigating around a new country created a whole new experience.

I can’t wait to keep going to more studios and museums. This experimental, hands on way of learning has taught me a lot more and a lot faster than any full semester before.

Pictures of Monaco inside the Castle for a tour!

A blue chair as a symbol and part of the culture for Nice! Really interesting to see in person how much significance a chair had in a city’s traditions.

Lots of chairs. This is how my camera roll looks like now.

Week 2: Italy, Monaco, France, Oh My! (Angel)

My first full week in Milan has been better than I could’ve even imagined. From the studio visits to the random laughs with friends, I’ve loved every minute of my time here.

Over the weekend, a group of us went to Monaco and Nice, France. It was a chaotic weekend, but these were places I’d wanted to visit for years and they lived up to my expectations. Having taken French for 6 years, I was excited to actually use my French in the real world.

Before returning to Milan, we went to the Matisse Museum. It was such a cool experience because I got to see many of Matisse’s lesser known works and paintings that I would never have guessed were his. There were also many sketches alongside the accompanying paintings. It was encouraging to see these ordinary sketches that I could make transformed into something so beautiful. I don’t think I’m great at sketching or drawing, so it gave me more confidence in my own design process.

Overall, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in Europe so far and am excited to see what the next few weeks has in store!