Milano Malpensa Airport. Designed by Ettore Sottsass. MXP
This
airport is always crowded, noisy and dirty. The floors and ceilings seem
to be made up of materials from the 1950s’ even though the Terminal 1 started
operations in the 1990s’. Food served in the restaurant is terrible, of
very expensive, or both. This is the only airport I have heard of where
from time to time expensive items disappear from the checked bags of arriving
passengers.
On the positive side its architecture is a masterpiece of the
“Postmodern” period. Its main designer was Ettore Sottsass. If you get out of
the crowd, rest your eyes, and look at the lines of the building you smile at
their beauty. Notice the two different rhythms of the columns on the upper and
lower floors in the photo here.
Please see my collection of videos on my YouTube channel:
This photograph was taken from a plane window and it is on the air side
of terminal 1. The design is typical of the “Memphis Group” production of the
period.
The columns resemble many details of office furniture by the Olivetti
Synthesis series and of the Olivetti “Divisumma” line of calculating machines.
All these objects were designed by Ettore Sottsass as well.
Here is a video of a walk inside the airport:
And here is a video of a take off from the airport.
Please note the design of the building from the air side.
The designer, Ettore Sottsass Jr. was the son of another prominent architect, Ettore Sottsass Sr. and the two are not to be confused.
A profile of the elder one can be found on the web site of the Ordine Architetti di Torino (in Italian). See also (in Italian) the profile by Enciclopedia Treccani.
Some more useful links:
Update 1: An extension to the airport, the so called "third satellite" is starting operation in January 2013. The design of this part was not clearly discernible during construction. We all hope the original style by Sottsass has been preserved and not altered.
I wait the next flight from Milano to have a look and post some photos of the new extension. Here is the airport's newsletter announcing the opening: Malpansa Terzo Satellite
I wait the next flight from Milano to have a look and post some photos of the new extension. Here is the airport's newsletter announcing the opening: Malpansa Terzo Satellite
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