History of Fondazione Prada

It is called Fondazione Prada, a venue in Milan that hosts the brand’s shows but has little to do with fashion. Born in 1993 with the aim of «investigating human culture in its variety and complexity,» Miuccia Prada founded the institution together with her husband Patrizio Bertelli to interact with the worlds of art and science. «Over these thirty years, I have questioned in various ways how artistic and intellectual research can impact people's lives. Continuously seeking more current answers to this question is the fundamental purpose of the Foundation,» commented the designer. While in its early years the institution mainly commissioned utopian projects and monographs worldwide, since 2002 it has also included research paths for exhibitions of architecture, philosophy conferences, and cinematic events. The first physical space of Fondazione Prada opened in 2011 in Venice, the main cradle of international arts in Italy. By restoring Ca’ Corner della Regina, Fondazione Prada found its home in the rooms of the evocative 18th-century palace, finally enabling the launch of various experimental projects in the fields of art and architecture, presented annually during the Biennale. Only later came the centres in Milan, Shanghai, Tokyo and finally New York.

The Role of Fondazione Prada in Milan

Located in Largo Isarco, in South Milan, far from the luxury center of Montenapoleone, Fondazione Prada landed in Milan twenty-two years after the institution’s creation. Designed by the OMA studio, led by internationally renowned architect Rem Koolhaas, the Milan headquarters embodies the institution’s multidisciplinary attitude. In Milan, it takes the form of a «laboratory of ideas,» says Fondazione Prada. To celebrate diverse subjects, disciplines, and cultures, the spaces host a wide array of projects: art and archaeology exhibitions, musical events and scientific conferences, dance performances, and educational activities. The rich calendar of Fondazione Prada in Milan is complemented by a series of permanent exhibitions and installations by major artists such as Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Pino Pascali, Walter De Maria, and Carsten Höller.

Divided into several pavilions, the Milan headquarters of Fondazione Prada was built in spaces that once belonged to the former Società Italiana Spiriti distillery, active in the early 1900s. Architectures like the golden tower and the cinema are part of the new constructions designed by OMA and Koolhaas; the sixty-meter-high Tower remains one of the most photographed elements of the complex, along with the upside-down reality of Höller’s Upside Down Mushroom Room. In an unexpected combination of form and material, the Tower hosts some levels designed with a trapezoidal base, others rectangular, ceilings of varying heights, and facades made of alternating glass and concrete to reflect light on every surface. In this intricate interplay, the Tower represents the diverse mix of Fondazione Prada’s interests. As architect Koolhaas explained, the combination of "old" spaces and new constructions serves as a visual-conceptual metaphor: «Old and new, horizontal and vertical, wide and narrow, black and white, open and closed: these contrasts establish the variety of oppositions that describe the nature of the new Foundation. By introducing numerous spatial variables, the architectural project’s complexity contributes to developing an open and constantly evolving cultural program, where both art and architecture benefit from their mutual challenges.»

Between the building’s fascinating architecture and the grandeur of the exhibitions and artists collaborating with Fondazione Prada, the institution quickly became one of the most beloved cultural spaces for Milanese residents and tourists alike. In addition to alternating between major projects by Pedro Almodóvar, David Cronenberg, and Bernardo Bertolucci, Fondazione Prada also features a cinema dedicated to Jean-Luc Godard, a leading figure of the French Nouvelle Vague movement, and Bar Luce, a venue entirely designed by Wes Anderson, inspired by the interiors of historic Milanese cafés adorned in the pastel colors favored by the American director. Alongside the cinema, Fondazione Prada recognizes Godard’s immense cultural impact by hosting two permanent exhibitions conceived by the filmmaker and inaugurated in 2019. With Le Studio d’Orphée, Godard metaphorically transferred his recording and editing studio to the Foundation, while Accent-soeur reproduces the soundtrack of Histoire(s) du cinéma (1988–1998), exploring the history of cinema. A year after Fondazione Prada’s Milan opening, the Osservatorio in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II was inaugurated, an exhibition space created to establish new connections between technology and various cultural expressions.

Since 2018, Fondazione Prada has expanded its horizons internationally with projects in China, Japan, and the United States, hosting Prada Rong Zhai in Shanghai, Prada Aoyama in Tokyo, and Prada Broadway Epicenter in New York. These initiatives also include research exhibitions, monographs, artistic commissions, and cultural conferences. Furthermore, the institution is committed to educating new generations: in Italy and abroad, it has launched teaching projects in visual arts, humanities, and sciences, in collaboration with schools, universities, and research centers. When Fondazione Prada turned thirty in 2023, Miuccia Prada celebrated the anniversary by forming a Guidance Committee comprising scholars, teachers, scientists, artists, and filmmakers to accelerate the institution’s creative research. Next year, the Milan headquarters will celebrate its tenth anniversary, providing an excellent opportunity to celebrate and encourage the greatest innovations of the Largo Isarco center.