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Cet article est un dossier relatif aux politiques de coordination, re-développement et régénération touchant au patrimoine culturel de l’industrie dans la Province de Milan – laquelle a participé activement à l’instauration de ces politiques depuis de nombreuses années. Elle a eu recours pour cela à une méthode de rapprochement et de mise en réseau des entreprises et des municipalités qui est à ce jour unique en son genre en Italie. L’auteur analyse, sur plusieurs communes, les plus originaux ou les plus riches de ces centres culturels dont s’enorgueillit la zone métropolitaine de Milan., et parmi lesquels les musées industriels se distinguent par la vigueur de leurs manifestations promotionnelles.

A dossier on the policies for the co-ordi-nation, redevelopment and regeneration of the industrial cultural heritage of the Province of Milan, describing both the best practices for the re-use of industrial monuments and the programme “Milan City of Projects”, which focuses on mu-seums and industrial archives.For many years the Province of Milan has played an active role in establishing policies for the regeneration and rede-velopment of the heritage of industrial archaeology found in the Milanese area. Involvement has included:• Co-ordinating the redevelopment of

derelict buildings and sites, working together with local authorities and private organisations.

• Support for local authorities and non-profit organisations for re-use projects, and for long and short term cultural programmes.

• Upgrading of the industrial heritage through technical-scientific projects (cataloguing, consultancy on resto-ration and protection initiatives, etc) and cultural promotion (publicising, initiatives to allow access etc).

• The creation and co-ordination of a “museum system” focusing on in-dustrial museums and archives, which is the only one of its kind in Italy and

based on on-going collaboration be-tween private companies and local authorities.

In the area of Culture, the Province of Milan’s responsibilities can be summa-rised as: promotion and support for li-braries and the library and museum sys-tems, musical bands and choral societies. In addition, the Province of Milan sets up, promotes and supports cultural initia-tives in the areas of the visual arts, mu-sic, theatre and cinema, in collaboration with the local councils and the Region of Lombardy.In particular, in the last few years our cul-tural policy has involved us in the work of co-ordinating various initiatives set up by individual Town Councils. We called this project Metropoli: cultural initiatives from the 13 cultural centres of the Prov-ince of Milan. At the same time we also set up three specific cultural districts in the various areas of our province.The cultural districts represent for us the most mature level of co-ordination and governance between Local Authori-ties and private organisations able to ori-ent the individual policies of the Town Councils. The area of industrial museums, on the other hand, has for some time been a matter of co-ordination between Local

Memory and Heritage of Milan City and its Province: economy, culture and tourism in the

programme “City of Projects”

Claudio MINOIA

Authorities, companies and cultural insti-tutions. This collaboration is called “City of Projects”, and its fundamental char-acteristics will be described later in this document.This dossier therefore presents:• Some examples of the re-use of der-

elict industrial buildings, designated best practice cases for the quality of the initiatives, the sustainability of the results, and the variety of organi-sations involved in the project.

• Up to date information regarding the Museum System of Milan City of Projects.

• A selection of the cultural initiatives organised by the Province of Milan, which have been carried out in this field over the last few years.

cuperated from part of a historic tram depot in the Ticinese quarter of Milan. The initiative is the brainchild of the Corriere della Sera Foundation and the photographic agency Contrasto, togeth-er with the collaboration of the ATM (the Milanese Transport Association) and provides ample spaces for temporary ex-hibitions, a bookshop, offices, didactic areas, and a small restaurant.The depot, which is still in use today, was built in 1933 in an area which had been used for the same purpose by the Società Anonima degli Omnibus since 1884. The de-pot was originally built by ATM’s Build-ings Department and was remarkable for two reasons: firstly, for its large capacity – it could hold up to 140 trams; and sec-ondly, for certain technical aspects which

74

Comune di Milano

Spazio Forma

Laboratori di scenografia del Teatro alla Scala

La Fabbrica del Vapore

Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro

Gran Visconti Palace Hotel

East End Studios

Politecnico Bovisa

Fondazione Arnoldo e Alberto Mondadori Milano

ex Deposito A.T.M “Ticinese”

ex Ansaldo

ex Società Italiana Carminati Toselli

Riva Calzoni

ex Molino Verga

ex Officine Caproni

ex Ceretti e Tanfani

ex Società Letraset

Provincia di Milano

Associazione La Filand

Fabbrica Borroni

Spazio Iso Rivolta

Museo del Giocattolo e del Bambino

Spazio Forma

Cornaredo

Bollate

Bresso

Cormano

Ex A.T.M “Ticinese Depot”Piazza Tito Lucrezio Caro

2005 saw the creation of “Forma”, the International Centre for Photography, which was set up on a 1,700m2 area re-

ensured that the vehicles could be more easily moved and maintained. The two entrances, in Via Custodi and Via Giove-

Memory and Heritage of Milan City and its Province

nale, are still more or less in their original condition. (Photo 1)

important electro-mechanical factories in the history of Italian industry. (Photo 2)

The Steam Factory

Previously property of Società Italiana Car-minati Toselli - Via Procaccini 4

When it was built, this huge shed with trussed arches was immediately named the “Cathedral”. Facing onto Via Messina, the “Cathedral” was and still is the focal point of this large industrial complex, which was established in 1899 and built bit by bit up to the nineteen twenties. The building was used to build rolling stock for the railways, still powered by steam at that point, and also trams. And at the entrance in Via Procaccini, you can still just make out a number of decorative ef-fects depicting various mechanical parts of railway vehicles.When production ceased in 1935, the site was divided between various companies who changed its appearance, above all by knocking down several central sheds and creating a large internal courtyard. However, about ten years ago, the Mi-lan City Council set up a redevelopment programme which is still continuing. Various buildings along Via Procaccini have already been restored and, follow-ing a competition set up by the Council, are occupied by associations and small enterprises involved youth culture in the multimedia and performing arts sectors – the only area of its kind in our city. At the moment work is being carried out on the restoration of the “Cathedral”, which will be used as a performance area. (Photo 3)

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The scenery workshop of La Scala Opera House

ex Ansaldo - Via Bergognone at the corner of Via Tortona

From the main entrance of this enormous industrial area, acquired by the Milan City Council in 1990 for redevelopment for cultural purposes, you arrive in the main workshop (ex pavilion 16). Built shortly before 1920, the building is now used for the construction of large-scale scenery for the La Scala Opera House, as are the factory buildings facing onto Via Stend-hal. The redevelopment programme for the complex includes space to be devoted to a large museum (designed by the Brit-ish architect Chipperfield), a library, and to laboratories for the Brera Academy of Fine Arts. The Ansaldo area was built mainly in the years after the First World War. A long building constructed in 1918 faces on to Via Tortona, and you can still see a long enclosed passageway which leads to the rooms of the ex-CGE, built in 1921.The premises still retain the atmosphere and aesthetic appeal of one of the most

Claudio MINOIA

Fig.1Spazio Form.

Fig.2Laboratori di

scenografia delTeatro alla Scala

ex Ansaldo.

Fig.3La Fabbrica del

Vapore ex Società Italiana Carminati

Toselli.

Arnaldo Pomodoro Foundation

Riva Calzoni - Via Solari 35

For around a century, Riva Calzoni was one of the most important companies in the world for the production of turbines for hydroelectric plants, and for water-lifting devices used in reclamation works. In 1899-1900 Riva, which later merged with Calzoni of Bologna, supplied the turbines for the hydro-electric plant at Niagara Falls. The complex of buildings, whose en-trance we can see today on Via Stend-hal, was designed by the engineer Pietro Giulio Bosisio at the end of the 1830s. Today, after a major renovation of over 40,000 m2 of the area, the complex is occupied by businesses in various sec-tors: fashion, design, performing arts and communications. The Arnaldo Po-modoro Foundation, which was set up in 1995 and recently moved into the com-plex, reflects its image perfectly with its strong cultural presence and its spectacu-lar exhibition space with raised walkways and large metal structures. (Photo 4)

and pastry making. The portion of the building with the tall tower which faces onto Via Mantova was probably used for grain warehousing. Later, the mill passed to the biscuit company Saiwa of Genoa, before closing definitively in the early 1990s. A short distance away, in Piazza Trento, there is another mill (belonging to the company Besozzi-Marzoli) with large si-los which loomed over Via Isonzo. These give an impression of great strength and were represented in a painting by Giaco-mo Balla. Today, this complex has been demolished and substituted by residen-tial buildings, and a multi-storey car park which vaguely echoes the original form. (Photo 5)

East End Studios

ex Caproni Workshops - Via Mecenate 84

The old brick-built sheds of the Caproni workshops are all that remains of the air-craft factory built from 1915 onwards by the engineer Giovanni Caproni, and to-day include various street numbers on the right-hand side of Via Mecenate. After the original production facilities closed, the complex sprang back to life in the 1980s when various projects were set up for its re-use. Television studios, design studios, craft workshops and trades serv-ices, areas devoted to events such as ex-hibitions, conferences, festivities etc were set up here, such as the East End studios, and the “Project Space (ADI)” of the Association for Industrial Design. Today these attract various audiences to an area which is constantly changing. 76

Gran Visconti Palace Hotel

ex Molino Verga - Viale Isonzo 14

The only hotel in Milan to have a win-ter garden and with 2,500 m2 of internal green space, the Gran Visconti Palace was redeveloped on the site of what was once the site of one of the largest flour mills in Italy, the Verga mill complex, which was completed in 1920. Various types of flour were produced here for both bread

Memory and Heritage of Milan City and its Province

Fig.4FondazioneArnaldo Pomodoro Riva Calzoni.

Fig.5Gran ViscontiPalace Hotel exMolino Verga.

One of the most recent developments in the ex-Caproni area is the Flight Work-shop – an open space dedicated to events, but also to cookery courses, and to the presentation of new techniques in cater-ing. Re-use has been accompanied by respect for the original characteristics of the industrial architecture, which was in-spired by Roman and Neo-Gothic styles. An example of this can be seen, for in-stance, in the windows at number 75 and number 76 of Via Mecenate. (Photo 6)

with the creation of new structures in previously unused areas. (Photo 7)

Arnoldo and Alberto Mondadori Foundation Milano

Previously owned by the company Letraset - via Riccione 8

Bought and renovated thanks to a contri-bution from the Benemeriti Partners and the Cariplo Foundation, the headquarters of the Foundation are located in Milan, in the Villapizzone/Bovisa area, and in what was previously the factory of the Letraset company. The renovation, com-pleted in 2000, was carried out by the ar-chitect Federica Zanuso.The site is divided into four areas: a con-servation area, a consultation area, a com-munications and training area, and finally an area for management, offices and for working on materials.The conservation area is made up of the archive, which covers over 170 m2, the library and the publications library. The consultation area is a study hall of 60m2

located on the first floor, with seating for 9 people reserved for researchers, and a computer terminal. The Foundation also dedicates two rooms to the part of its work which is most closely linked to the appreciation and promotion of editorial culture. The first is the seminar and con-ference room, which is used for lectures, conferences, training courses, seminars and exhibitions, and the second the com-puter room, with 13 computers. The area devoted to management, offices and for working on materials is found on the first floor and has 15 workspaces connected 77

Bovisa Polytechnic

ex Ceretti and Tanfani - Via Durando 38/A

Ceretti and Tanfani was for decades an important producer of cranes, funicular railways and cable cars. Founded in 1894, the company moved to its new headquar-ters in Via Durango in 1908. The site was designed by the architect Beretta and gradually enlarged up to the 1940s, with further changes made after the bomb-ings of the Second World War. In 1989 the company moved out of Milan, and recently the complex has been used by the Polytechnic of Milan to house the new Faculty of Architecture and Design. A large part of the buildings have been preserved and are clearly evident, starting with the facade on Via Durando which carries the date the company was found-ed. The company sign has also been preserved, while canteen is now used as a library, and pavilions dating back to different periods from the 1920s to the 1940s are used for lecture halls, various institutes, and offices. The re-use of the original buildings has been integrated

Claudio MINOIA

Fig.6East End Studios

ex OfficineCaproni.

Fig.7Politecnico

Bovisa ex Ceretti e Tanfani.

by intranet, and a meeting room. (Photo 8)

Cornaredo Town CouncilLa Filanda Association

Ex Filanda - Piazza Della Liberta’, 6Cornaredo

In the 19th century in the heart of Cornaredo, a vast industrial complex grew up dedicated to the production of silk. Built around Serbelloni House, which was designed and built from 1806 onwards by Leopold Pollack, the complex included spinning rooms, boiler rooms, and warehouses where the cocoons were kept, as well as other sections of the fac-tory, and extended south of what is now Piazza della Libertà. The complex went into gradual decline during the second half of the 1900s, and a part of the origi-nal House was demolished and the gar-dens transformed into a public park. A significant part of the complex has now been restored and returned to the pub-lic, and constitutes both a memory and a service for the present and the future of the community.The ex-Filanda building is a harmonious combination of old buildings and new architectural features. Its three floors in-clude the local public library, exhibition spaces, and the Town Council offices for the Education, Culture, Sport and Lei-sure sectors, as well as a modern auditori-um for musical, theatrical and cinemato-graphic events. The association la Filanda is responsible for the management of the facilities, and for the promotion of ini-tiatives aimed at improving cultural com-munications. (Photo 9)

Bollate Town CouncilThe Borroni Factory

Via Giacomo Matteotti 19Bollate

The idea of restoring a workplace and giving it the double function of being both a place of production and of crea-tive artistic expression may not be new, but at the Borroni factory it seems to be especially appropriate. The factory, an old textile mill, provides a large, well lit area with a garden (over 200 m2) for pri-vate events. But the rest of the space is taken up by the art collection of Eugenio Borroni, who ran the family business for 35 years while, at the same time, building up an art collection based on instinct and personal taste acquired by his relation-ships with various artists.In 2004 a permanent exhibition of al-most 500 works was opened to the public. The works are mainly by Ital-ian artists, including young and emerg-ing talents, and are added to every year. But already produced art is not enough - the Collection also aims to stimulate artistic production, through meetings, a documentation centre and initiatives for young artists. Without doubt a young gallery to keep an eye on. (Photo 10)

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Memory and Heritage of Milan City and its Province

Fig.8Fondazione Arnoldo e Alberto Mondadori Milano ex Società Letraset.

Fig.9Associazione La Filanda Cornaredo.

Fig.10FabbricaBorroni Bollate.

Comune di CormanoThe Museum of toys and Childhood

ex Cotton MillCormano

A large derelict industrial area of the ear-ly 1900s will be the site of the Centre for Childhood, which Cormano is dedicating to children. Various areas are planned: the Toy Museum, the children’s library, the shows of the Puppet Theatre, and musical and multi-media workshops. A lively, ever-changing haven.The Museum of Toys and Childhood will be an important Centre for Child-hood within the province of Milan, and is part of the new network of museums and services promoted by the newly cre-ated North Milan Town Councils Pact, in accord with the metropolitan area devel-opment policy of the Province of Milan. The museum, the only one of its kind in Italy, exhibits toys and amusements from 1700 to 1960. With official recogni-tion from the Region of Lombardy, its objective as an institution is to safeguard and raise awareness of the historical record of childhood through acquiring, researching, and exhibiting objects which in childhood permeate both imaginary and everyday life.The museum will have an exhibition area of around 200m2. Creative workshops for the creation of both antique and modern toys are also planned, as are mul-timedia workshops, rooms for meetings and for story readings, spaces for cinema forums, a games room, and play space both inside and outside. The Centre will also offer space where children’s parties

and shows can be organised, and space for shared planning of a sustainable town for children. (Photo 11)

Museum System of the Province of Milan: “Milan City of Projects”

The museum system “Milan City of Projects” represents an unique experi-ence in Lombardy, and is among only a few such initiatives in Italy. It consists of a system of permanent co-operation between museums, collections and re-search centres connected with the world of industry. Four museums are included - The Kartell Museum of Noviglio; the Zucchi Collection Museum of Milan, the Scooter & Lambretta Museum of Rodano, the Alfa Romeo Museum of Arese - plus the Iso Rivolta multifunctional space of Bresso. The two transversal partners are ADI, the Foundation for Italian Design, which manages the First Golden Compass collection, and the FAAR Foundation – CSAR Research Centre, which is involved in various edu-cational and training initiatives in the de-sign sector. In 2009 two other organisa-tions joined the system. The first is the Fratelli Rossetti Historical Archive, named after the shoe producers of Parabiago, which conserves a record of the entire production of the factory – the pride of goods “Made in Italy”. The second is the Pirelli Historical Archive, inaugurated in 1947 with the objective of protecting and raising awareness of the history of the Pirelli Group and with the reconstruc-tion of the material conserved in the Pirelli museum before it was dismantled in 1943.The Department for Culture of the Prov-ince of Milan plays a role of co-ordina-tion and development for the different aspects of the work of the System. The partners in the system have two elements in common: firstly, the origins of their collections and the knowledge that these are deeply rooted in the history of some of the most important industries in the Milanese area; and secondly, the focus 79

Claudio MINOIA

Fig.11Museo del

Giocattolo edel Bambino

Cormano.

on the theme of design inherent in the widest meaning of the phrase “Project Culture” – from the decorative arts to in-dustrial design. Creating a system means joining forces to achieve common objectives. What are the objectives of “Milan City of Projects”? Firstly the increased appreciation of a heritage which the public is not always aware of, and the improvement of its accessibility through a programme for schools, through extra-ordinary public openings of the facilities, special events, communications tools like this publica-tion, and other promotional initiatives. “Milan City of Projects” has adopted a “light” organisational form, founded on the relationship between equals, and without too many bureaucratic and ad-ministrative ties, to create flexibility and remain open to new partners and future developments.The Province of Milan possesses a rich network of industrial archives, both company and private collections, which although not structured in the form of museums, have every right to be con-sidered as compelling elements for the knowledge of design and production culture which characterise the contem-porary city.They are all elements of an important record of a continuously developing cul-ture of labour and production in Milan. And this is perhaps the most fascinating element of “Milan City of Projects” – to tell the story of deep-rooted traditions which have been constantly fed by new experiences and new contributions. It’s a story which deserves to be told.

Museo Alfa Romeo

Inaugurated on 18 December 1976, the Alfa Romeo Museum is considered to be one of the most important and most complete single-brand museums. This was confirmed by a survey in the British magazine “AUTO EXPRESS” which placed the Alfa Romeo Museum

in fourth place of the most important things to visit in the world. When you go into the museum, you have the sensa-tions that you are entering a modern gal-lery of art. The cars are exhibited using the criteria and the taste of a sculpture museum. And in fact, they are no less than mechanical sculptures.Visitors can walk around the cars which are exhibited and admire both the lines of the bodywork and the mechanical se-crets. There are more than 110 cars ex-hibited, and the cover almost the entire range of production from 1910 to our own times. The Museum includes unique items found nowhere else in the world, such as the Torpedo 24HP of 1910, the first car produced by ALFA (Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili). Then there are vehicles like the 1500, 1750 and 2300 which are indissolubly linked to ALFA’s great victories in races such as the classic Thousand Mile race (with eleven victories, ALFA holds an unbeat-en record), the Targa Florio (ten wins) or the 24 Hour le mans (four first places).The cars have been driven by the legends of motor racing - drivers such as Nuvol-ari, Campari, Varzi, and Sivocci; ALFA’s four leaved clover symbol appeared for the first time on the bonnet of the car used in the Targa Florio of 1923, won by Ugo Sivocci with the RL. Since then it has become the unmistakeable symbol of the sports cars of the house of the Ser-pent. The 159 single-seater with which Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1951 For-mula One drivers’ Championship is also there. (Photo 12)The collection continues with the vehi-cles produced on the assembly line at

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Memory and Heritage of Milan City and its Province

Fig.12Museo Alfa Romeo.

the beginning of the fifties: the 1900, the Giulietta in its various versions, and the cars produced in the Arese factory. There’s each version of the Giulia, the Alfetta and the Montreal. The cars from the Autodelta, the Alfa Romeo racing sec-tion, are there too - the TZs, the GTAs, the “33s” – champions of the 1975 Mondo Marche and sport prototypes in 1977. And finally the most recent - the 155 GTA which in 1993 won the difficult German Tourism championship, and the 156 which won the Fia European Touring Car Championship in 2002.

Scooter & Lambretta museum

The Scooter Museum arises from the passion of Vittorio Tessera, who has col-lected this popular means of transport for more than 25 years. The intention is to raise awareness of its historical and cultural importance, its evolution from early times until today, and projects for the future.Thanks to a significant donation from the Innocenti family, the scooter which is best represented is the Lambretta, built at Lambrate by Innocenti. The museum includes 36 examples of the most impor-tant models, as well as some of the rarest prototypes, models, spare parts, trophies, medals and clothing.Ample space is devoted in the museum to both national and international pro-duction, with over 110 scooters exhibit-ed. One of the most interesting sections is for racing models from the fifties.The “Italian Scooters” section con-tains the rarest models of the rich pro-duction of the period after the Second World War: the Nibbio, (the Kite) the first scooter to be produced in Lombardy in 1947 (only three examples are known); the Furetto (the Ferret) the first scooter produced by the ISO in 1947 (three ex-amples known); and the Simat, the first scooter produced in Italy in 1940 (only one example known). (Photo 13)In the international section, all the most

important coun-tries are repre-sented by one or two original models – from the first mo-tor scooter pro-duced in France, l ’ A u t o f a u t e u i l of 1908, to the

first produced in America in 1916, the Autoped. The Japanese section is par-ticularly interesting, with the first scooter Rabbit of 1947and the more unique than rare, Honda Juno 200, the first scooter produced by the Japanese company Hon-da in 1954.

The Zucchi collection museum

In 1988, Giordano Zucchi acquired the most important collection of hand print-ing blocks for textiles, almost certainly saving it from being split up and lost.

56,000 pieces which with 12,000 designs tell the story of three centuries of European textile history, and bear wit-ness to the evo-lution of taste

and decorative culture over an arc of time that runs from 1785 to 1935. The work of classifying and restoring these antique blocks, in accordance with muse-um standards, brought to light an archive of records which has been made avail-able for researchers, designers, students or simply the curious, who can handle and touch the fascination of this unique heritage, which is unlike any other collec-tion in the world. The designs are divided into six great chapters of style: cashmere, flowered, ornamental, pictures, abstract and geometric. (Photo 14)The museum offers the chance not just for a visit, but also to experience the 81

Claudio MINOIA

Fig.13Museo Lambretta.

Fig.14Collezione

Museo Zucchi.

world of textiles fully. A film explains the techniques used in making the blocks, which are true masterpieces of craft, and brings to life all the stages of the hand-printing process. The blocks are exhibited like paintings in order to reveal their full richness, and the variety and precision of the carving. They can be touched, and the tools used in the same period are also exhibited. It is also possible to take part in workshops where, under the guidance of a master printer, you can experience first-hand the art of hand-printing – on a sheet of paper which can be framed, on a tea-towel, a napkin, or a scarf ... Every-one who visits the Zucchi museum takes away a piece of craftwork made with their own hands, a piece of textile history which forms a bridge between the past and the future.In 1997, the Zucchi group was awarded the first Guggenheim Prize for Business and Culture for having saved an impor-tant part of the heritage of the textile in-dustry, and for having turned the largest collection of antique printing blocks into an archive and museum open to the public.

Kartellmuseum

Kartellmuseum was set up in 1999 to cel-ebrate the 50th anniversary of Kartell. The almost a thousand Kartell icons housed in the museum tell the story and

define the iden-tity of the com-pany, based on the marriage be-tween plastic and design, innova-tion and creativ-ity, functionality and glamour. The museum

space inside the factory designed by Anna Castelli Ferrieri and Ignazio Gardella cov-ers almost 2000 m2 and has been designed to satisfy the needs of a wide variety of visitors. (Photo 15)The products are divided into categories.

Car accessories, household items, lamps, laboratory items, furnishings and acces-sories, the moulds and the designs of the products are all laid out in chronological order in 16 exhibition areas and in a ta-ble organised under the headings events, design, technology and communications.The aim of the Foundation is to raise public awareness of design culture and to increase appreciation of one of the most important chapters of Milanese de-sign, using the activities of the museum, i.e. guided visits, research, publications, and the organisation of exhibitions both inside and outside the site, the archive of Kartell’s documents, products, mod-els and photographs, and a collection of proto-design objects and plastic de-signs. In addition, a data-base and virtual tour are available which can be consulted on-line and which give detailed information on the company, their products and their designers.

Iso Rivolta open space

Iso Rivolta Open Space has its roots in the historical, human and industrial affairs which have profoundly marked the area of Bresso in the province of Milan.After the second world war, the production of the famous Iso cars was a motive for pride amongst the people of Bresso. These are memories which the oldest members of the community still cherish and which constitute part of the cultural heritage of the younger inhabitants. (Photo 16)The collection linked to the legendary car and motorcycle maker includes, the original technical blueprints as well as a large number of models. Amongst the motorcycles are the Isoscooter 150 F, the Isomoto GT and the Isosport 125, and amongst the cars the legendary Isetta (around 1500 of which were produced by Iso between 1953 and 1954) and the wonderful Granturismo range, includ-ing the GT (800 cars produced between 1963 and 1970), la Grifo (437 cars for 82

Memory and Heritage of Milan City and its Province

Fig.15Museo Kartell.

the complete production range between 1963 and 1974), la Fidia (188 cars pro-duced between 1967 and 1974) and the Lele (production between 1970 and 1974 estimated at 285 cars). A chronological summary which links simple fact to the deepest experience of planning and de-sign in the motor industry.The architectural complex, recreated inside the former Iso Rivolta Factory, houses a multifunctional centre aimed at the community, the Iso Café – a themed meeting place – and a bookstore, which focuses on texts on Italian products and design. The intention is to increase social activity, and to provide space for the proposals of the new generation, in a common environment where people can meet, form ties, and express their creativity. It’s a project which prioritises all forms of communication, seen from the viewpoint of modernisation and ur-ban redevelopment. The museum space is currently undergoing renovation.

The Pirelli Foundation

Via Gaetano Negri, 10 Milan

The Pirelli Foundation was set up in 2009 on the wishes of Pirelli & C. S.p.A., Pirelli Tyre, Pirelli Real Estate and the Pirelli family, with the objective of promoting and raising awareness of the cultural her-itage of the Pirelli Group. The Foundation works both by exploit-ing the archive material which bears wit-

ness to the culture of the over 135 years of the history of Pirelli, and through projects and initiatives aimed at promot-ing the company culture of the group as part of the general cultural heritage of the nation.The Foundation also works to identify and support projects and cultural initia-tives set up by others, which have an af-finity with the Pirelli culture. In line with the tradition of relationships between the Group and the community in the ar-eas in which it operates, the Foundation also carries out a number of activities aimed at maintaining and extending rela-tionships with the local area, particularly those of a cultural character.Amongst its first tasks is that of bringing back the Pirelli Historical Archive to Bi-cocca, by now the century-old heartland of the group, where from next June the foundation will have its headquarters in Building 134 – a historical building within the Pirelli area which has been complete-ly renovated for that specific purpose.The objective is to make the archive, which consists of documents, photo-graphs, films, graphic and publicity mate-rial, available to experts and researchers, to the community, and naturally to the companies which make up the group. The archive is of such historical interest that since 1972 it has been under the tute-lage of the Archive Supervision Agency.

Cultural animation activities carried out in the last few years by the Province of Milan to increase appreciation of the local cultural heritage Competition for High Schools: Discover-ing Industrial Museums

Between 2005 and 2007, the Depart-ment of Culture and the Cultural Her-itage, Visual Arts and Museums Sector of the Culture and Integration Depart-ment in collaboration with the Museum System of Milan City of Projects set up the competition Discovering the Industrial 83

Claudio MINOIA

Fig.16Open Space Iso

Rivolta.

Museums of Milan.The competition involved the production of a multimedia work and aimed at pro-moting greater awareness of and increasing appreciation of the valuable historical her-itage of the Milan industrial era, preserved over the years by local firms and consisting of company archives and collections, and also private collections. The theme was in-tended as an educational opportunity which would convey to the young people an un-derstanding of the historical and artistic worth of the design products, and which would make that heritage more accessible and exploitable, while the objective was to stimulate an analysis which would recognise the products of industrial design as a local cultural heritage, understood as testifying to the civilisation of the area in which we live. The concept of archive, museum and col-lection was interpreted in the widest sense possible to include all those changes in the historical, typological and economic aspects which today make them subject to contin-ual development rather than leftovers of a closed and finished past.The entries took whatever form and shape the authors felt to be most appropriate and included literary, musical, theatrical and visual arts (graphic, video, virtual reality, ani-mation etc) productions.From the Ferrari Gallery in Maranello to the Heritage Motor Centre in Warwickshire, from the Academia Cravatica of Zagreb to the Zucchi Collection of Milan: for the first time curators and directors some of the most important industrial museums in Italy and Europe met to share best practices and to find new synergies.Organised by the Province of Milan (Herit-age Sector, Visual Arts and Museums) and by Museimpresa (the National Association of Industrial Museums and Archives pro-moted by Assolombarda), and with the support of Intesa San Paolo, the European Conference of Industrial Museums inaugu-rated the VII Week of Industrial Culture, promoted by Confindustria.Particularly numerous in the province of Milan, the Industrial Museums (togeth-

er with company archives and company and private collections) preserve and raise awareness of the historical heritage of lo-cal companies and the design and produc-tion culture of the area. It is a recent devel-opment and one which continues to evolve, telling the story of Italian history and the economic and social culture.In 2004, the Province of Milan set up the museum system “Milan City of projects” to promote this heritage. A network of muse-ums and scientific partners, it was created to raise the awareness and increase the “us-ability” of collections which are otherwise only accessible by appointment and in of-fice hours. With the same aim, Museimpresa promotes the cultural policies of the companies and the appreciation of their historical heritage through numerous activities aimed at asso-ciates, at the museum archive community and at the wider public, proposing specific initiatives and constant networking, training and communications activities.Participants from some of the most impor-tant industrial museums in the world par-ticipated in the conference, which was held on 14 and 15 November 2008 in Milan, in the Falck Room of Assolombarda (Via Chiaravalle 8), and in the Frescoes Room of Palazzo Isimbardi (Via Vivaio 1), Apart from those already mentioned, the confer-ence was attended by the Italian Ducati Museum of Bologna, the Piaggio Historical Museum of Pontedera and the Ferragamo Museum of Florence, as well as by impor-tant international participants such as the Siemens Forum of Munich, Sony of Tokyo and the Guinness Storehouse of Dublin. The programme also included workshops on hand textile printing using antique print-ing blocks, visits to important places in the history of design in Milan, and a final fare-well by Philippe Daverio.At the Zucchi Collection (Via Ugo Foscolo 4, Milano, MM Duomo): “Great Italian Pas-sions”, and exhibition of unique items of Italian design from the collections of indus-trial museums belonging to “Milan City of Projects”. For the last three years rare exam-84

Memory and Heritage of Milan City and its Province

ples of historic cars from the Alfa Romeo museum have found a place amongst tex-tiles and antique printing blocks from the Zucchi collection. Valuable motorcycles and Lambrettas from the Scooter and Lam-bretta Museum can be found alongside long-selling items from the Kartell muse-um, together with images from the Pirelli Historical Archive and other documenta-tion of the Milanese industrial tradition.The exhibition has been enriched with pe-riod film footage, which documents the production of the companies included in the exhibition and the history of their mu-seums. The event is promoted with the col-laboration of the magazine Interni on the occasion of FuoriSalone. Apart from seeing the temporary exhibi-tion, visitors can also experience the hand-printing of textiles using printing blocks from the Zucchi collection, under the guid-ance of a master printer. “Milano City of Projects” is a rare occurrence in Italy of collaboration between museums and en-terprise. It promotes the “project culture” which has been the protagonist of local industrial history by organising initiatives aimed at increasing the awareness of the collections managed by its partners which are often not well-known and otherwise ac-cessible only during the opening hours of the companies. (Photo 17)In May 2008 at the Spazio MIL (Museum of Industry and Labour): The Festival of In-dustrial Museums – meetings, guided visits, multimedia shows, theatrical performances and workshops, all inside an exhibition of important design items from the industrial museums belonging to the provincial

Museum System “Milan City of Projects”.An exhibition illustrated the creation and development of the Museum System “Mi-lan City of Projects”, which includes the Kartell Museum of Noviglio, the Zucchi Collection Museum of Milan, the Scooter & Lambretta Museum of Rodano, the Alfa Romeo Museum of Arese, and the Iso Rivolta Open Space of Bresso. These are backed up by two transversal partners: the ADI Foundation for Italian Design (which holds the historical collection of the Golden Compass Award) and the Founda-tion FAAR-Centro Studi CSAR (involved in training initiatives fro scientific research in the field of design). Set up in 2003 on the initiative of the Prov-ince of Milan, “Milan City of Projects” is a example of collaboration between mu-seums and the world of business which is unique in Lombardy and rare in Italy. It pro-motes the “project culture” which has been the protagonist of local industrial history by organising initiatives aimed at increasing the awareness of the collections managed by its partners which are often not well-known and otherwise accessible only during the opening hours of the companies.The Festival of Industrial Museums was pro-moted by the Province of Milan(Heritage Sector, Visual Arts and Museums) with the collaboration of the Town council of Sesto san Giovanni and the Filodrammatici Thea-tre, as part of the event “Fill up with culture: meetings and performances in extraordi-nary places”. During the festival there were workshops on textile hand-printing and visits to the sheds of the company Vetro Balsamo to watch the industrial preparation of glass.All of this was enriched by a col-lection of historical photos from the Pirelli Archive, the “Caroselli” of GinoBramieri from the Edison Archive, documentaries on the production and the history of the exhibiting companies, and a multimedia presentation of industrial museums in Europe.

Claudio Minoia is Central Director for Culture and Social Affairs of the Province of Milan 85

Claudio MINOIA

Fig.17Festival of Industrial

Museums 2008.