Fondazione Elpis
A space for contemporary art in the center of Milan that interprets industrial architecture and leads it to new expressions.
Located in the centre of Milan in the Porta Romana district, between the historic via Orti and via Lamarmora, the new headquarters of Fondazione Elpis find themselves in an independent building. Low rise and made of exposed red bricks, it was built in 1885 as an industrial laundry building for the nearby hospital for the elderly and it was abandoned in the early 1990s.
In this beautiful setting, surrounded by the greenery of the gardens of the Orti Lamarmora block, the headquarters of Fondazione Elpis consists of about 800 square metres in total, spread over three levels that are designed to host temporary exhibitions, workshops, screenings, site specific installations and offices.
The gallery can be found on the ground floor, expanding into the gardens on the north and south sides, where outdoor works will be installed, before continuing up to the first floor where there is a large gallery with exposed roof beams and an outdoor terrace.
In the basement, built almost entirely from scratch, there are exhibition spaces, a warehouse and workspaces. A new internal staircase in white steel connects the three floors, curving alongside a large exposed lift. The distribution spaces therefore become exhibition spaces, emphasizing a visual and physical continuity.
The renovation project, by GioLatis STUDIO, was designed to keep the industrial nature of the building unaltered, with a conservative approach to volumes, materials and surfaces. The architectural intervention aims to connect the history of the building to the present day, creating an extremely versatile environment for exhibiting contemporary art while maintaining a strong bond with the site and with the original construction systems of the building.
