Designed and built by Oscar Niemeyer in Milan, Italy between 1968 and 1975, Mondadori Headquarters was built for Mondadori Publishing.
Let’s take a look at this iconic columned building.
History of Mondadori Headquarters
It was designed by Oscar Niemeyer to solve the space problems of Mondadori Publishing House due to the increase in the number of employees.
This process started in 1968 when Giorgio Mondadori, the son of the famous writer Arnoldo Mondadori, the director of Mondadori, was impressed by the Brazilian National Congress Building in Brasilia, which had been designed by Niemeyer 3 years earlier, and gave it to Oscar Niemeyer to fill this need.
The Mondadori Headquarters was later cited by Oscar Niemeyer as the most beautiful building I designed in Europe.
The building’s place in local history
At the time the Mondadori Headquarters was built, the people of Italy were going through a period of social upheaval. The fact that this building, which is quite innovative for Milan and the whole of Italy, was built at that time and in this form, tells us with its design approach that difficult days will pass and normalization is imminent.
Mondadori Architecture
Niemeyer approached this project with a different and innovative approach than the referenced National Congress Building. He reflected the perception with a simple arch form without using exaggerated, magnificent ornaments.
This arched structure, which contributes greatly to the memorialization and natural advertising process of this building, is surrounded by a 20,000 m² artificial lake and a large park designed by Landscape Artist Pietro Porcinai.
The large glass panels embedded in this arch structure are designed to deepen the perception of the building and provide an unforgettable experience for the visitor, thanks to the lake and the park.
Niemeyer wanted to design a place where users can communicate and work in harmony, and he achieved this by making the building feel that it is not cut off from the outside world.
My Thoughts on Mondadori Headquarters
This building, which is one of the examples of creating perception and achieving this in an architectural way, conveys to us that no matter how valuable what is intended to be done, if there are problems in conveying and understanding it, it will not have an effect. In particular, the artificial pond and park area used breaks the coldness and remoteness of the building and makes us feel that the building is a living place, not a cold but a warm space, contrary to its structure and colors.
What do you think about Mondadori Headquarters Do you think the glass panels, the columned structure and the pond create a unity? Is there anything wrong with the perception or transparency of the structure? Don’t forget to share your opinions with us. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you can read our Brasilia Cathedral review by clicking here.
Architect: Oscar Niemeyer
Architectural Style: Modern Architecture – Column architecture
Year: 1968-1975
Location: Milan,Italy
Photo: Roland Halbe, Karina Castro