MDC Art Gallery

What: transformation of an industrial building into a contemporary art gallery
Who: MDC spa
Where: Milan - Italy
When: 2003
AREA: 1100 sq. m
AREA49: Marilena Magalotti | m&a_mutti&architetti

The Gallery's design is part of an old industrial building where taking advantage of its height and dimensions, four exhibition spaces on different levels are created, a large warehouse for the works in the basement and an office space, in a new glazed space that fits into the original building. At the entrance, there is a huge shelf with numerous wrapped artworks that welcomes the visitors, changing the concept of the warehouse and bringing to the front what is usually hidden and becomes the focus of the new exhibition concept.

The spaces are divided according following a functional rationale and the rooms are designed to accommodate several exhibitions at the same time: each room, which differs from the other in size, lighting and finishes, can thus adapt to the many needs of the current exhibitions. The lighting includes industrial luminaires and bare lamp bodies that fit into the roof or the ceiling structure, in order to create environments that are not characterized by shaped elements. The selected materials make the gallery spaces neutral and essential for exhibitions, and at the same time they are linked to the industrial and research concept: phenolic multilayer for the stairs, parapets, mezzanines and furniture, industrial concrete and flooring for all the exhibition spaces, aluminium honeycomb panels in fibreglass for partitions, doors and office libraries.