Dear Shaded Viewers,
In a 1910 distillery with seven spaces including old warehouses and brewing silos, the raw, industrial and contemporary are standing in harmony next to each others as in any city landscape. The Prada Foundation, is a rather minimal cluster of buildings but a grandiose project in the perfection of its articulation and program. Some of the spaces are as architect Rem Koolhaas found them; others have been reconfigured but look as though they haven’t been touched. The three new buildings are made of glass, white concrete and an aluminum. One is a large exhibition pavilion for temporary shows; another is a nine-story tower that will house long-term installations and a restaurant; the third building, the theater, has mirrored, stainless steel folding walls, allowing the space to open onto the courtyard for outdoor performances.
Mr. Bertelli and Mrs. Prada said they have kept their support of the arts separate from their brand and are not calling the new foundation headquarters a museum, there is no brand logo on the fa
