Life from Arts

The former Marchiondi-Spagliardi Institute, built between 1953 and 1957 in the Baggio district of Milan, is a complex consisting of several buildings covering an area of approximately 22,000 square meters, designed by architect Vittoriano Viganò.
Created as an alternative to reform schools, to provide an education to young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the complex functional program finds its architectural unity in the expressive choice of structures, which takes the form of a free, open layout with buildings in contact with the outside world. It is divided into four building complexes consisting of seven buildings, which are connected but independent: the residential center for the children (boarding school), the offices and common areas, the school center, and the teachers’ residences.
The original construction elements and materials were chosen by Viganò for their primary character, which maintains its individuality and specificity: all load-bearing structures are made of reinforced concrete beams and pillars, the floors are made of brick and concrete, the floors are made of concrete, the walls are made of masonry plastered with cement mortar, and the large windows are made with iron frames and grilles.
Due to its particular and predominant use of reinforced concrete, the building is considered one of the most significant examples of Italian “brutalism”, an architectural style characterized by the insistent use of poor materials, and therefore also of ethical value, to achieve a simplified, anti-elegant, and unfinished aesthetic.
Defending his design choices, the author will support the thesis of empowerment and the transmission of new educational principles, including through the figurative, chromatic, and material power of architecture.
The structure began its inexorable decline following its decommissioning in the early 1980s and the definitive closure of the IPAB – Opera Pia Istituti Riuniti Marchiondi – Spagliardi e Protezione dei Fanciulli.

“Life from Arts” will be a new educational living experience, that will become a College of Merit acknowledged and credited by the Ministry of University and Research (D.D.M.M. nn. 672 e 673 ex art. 17 del D. Lgs n. 68/2012), born from the 20-year long successful experience of Collegio di Milano.
It will be dedicated, in particular, to students interested in cultivating and developing their artistic sensibility.
The project aims to highlight the importance, for Milan and, more broadly, for society, of the culture expressed through art, music, painting, and every new form of art, which are crucial for the overall growth of a people’s culture. It has now been proven that, in its many forms, art is an undeniable tool for peace and dialogue between people and peoples, at a time when there is a great need for it. A global “polis” with more culture of beauty is a more open, tolerant community focused on the common good.
The initiative is an educational and cultural project that, by healing a wound in the area, aims to bring new life to a masterpiece of brutalist architecture by architect Vittoriano Viganò.
This will benefit not only the students who will live there, but also provide an opportunity to open up to the community, through cross-pollination and dialogue between inside and outside, which are central to bringing new resources into the area and fueling a virtuous circle.
“Life from Arts” will host up to 167 students, offering state-of-the-art accommodation in terms of technology and energy efficiency, services and spaces for study and artistic training, as well as workshops, sports facilities, and catering services. In the spirit of the Collegio di Merito, cultural and training activities complementary to the university program will also be offered.
The total investment for the project is €44.5 million, financed by the Fondazione Collegio delle Università Milanesi (partly co-financed by the fifth call for proposals under Law 338/2000), the Municipality of Milan, and the Lombardy Region.