Fondazione Prada: A Gin Distillery Turned Into Milan's Boldest Art Space
A former gin distillery on the southern edge of Milan, rebuilt by Rem Koolhaas, with one building entirely covered in 24-carat gold leaf. The Fondazione Prada is the most ambitious contemporary art complex in the city, and the most photographed. From Taylor's Love Solferino B&B it is a direct metro ride.
Fondazione Prada, Torre. Photo: Ana.milano.foto, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Getting There from Our B&B
By metro: from Moscova (M2 green line), 300 metres from the B&B, take the M2 to Porto di Mare or use the M3 to Lodi TIBB and walk. Around 30 minutes door to door.
By tram: tram 24 from the centre runs to Largo Isarco, close to the entrance.
Old Buildings, Left Visibly Old
The distillery dates from the 1910s. When OMA and Rem Koolhaas converted it, opening in 2015, the decision was not to disguise the industrial past but to leave it plainly visible and set new structures against it.
The result is a campus of seven existing buildings and three new ones: the Haunted House covered in gold leaf, the Podium for temporary exhibitions, the Cinema, and the nine-storey Torre, which opened in 2018.
The gold leaf was, Koolhaas noted, surprisingly inexpensive as a cladding – a very Milanese joke about luxury.
What to See
- Bar Luce – designed by Wes Anderson as an idealised old Milanese café, in pastel colours with formica tables and jukeboxes. Free to enter; no ticket needed.
- Haunted House – the gold-leaf tower, with permanent installations by Robert Gober and Louise Bourgeois.
- Torre – nine floors of the permanent collection, with a rooftop restaurant and a view over the southern city.
- Atlas – works by Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst, Carsten Höller and others, arranged across the Torre's floors.
- Temporary exhibitions – consistently among the most serious contemporary shows in Italy.
- The Cisterna – three tall concrete chambers from the distillery, used for installations.
Practical Information
- Opening hours: Wednesday to Monday, roughly 10:00 to 19:00. Closed Tuesdays.
- Admission: around 15 euro. Bar Luce is free and can be visited without a ticket.
- Time needed: half a day to see it properly.
- Best time to visit: a weekday morning. Bar Luce is busiest at weekends.
- Booking ahead: advisable for major exhibitions and for the Torre restaurant.
A Note on the Location
The Fondazione is not in the pretty part of Milan. It sits among railway yards and warehouses in Largo Isarco, and that contrast is deliberate. Do not expect a scenic walk from the metro – the reward is entirely inside the gates.
Why Staying in Brera Makes the Difference
Taylor's Love Solferino B&B is at Via Solferino 56 in Zone 1, the historic centre, between Brera, Moscova and Corso Garibaldi. The Fondazione is one of the few Milan attractions genuinely outside the centre – staying on a direct metro line makes the difference between an easy half-day and a chore.
For travellers who prefer a short stay apartment in Milan centre to a hotel, the B&B offers free self check-in with a smart lock. Porta Garibaldi FS, 700 metres away, connects directly to Malpensa Airport with the Malpensa Express.