Fondazione Luigi Rovati by Mario Cucinella Architects – A Cultural Landmark in Milan

The Fondazione Luigi Rovati in Milan, designed by Mario Cucinella Architects, represents a remarkable transformation of the 19th-century Palazzo Bocconi-Rizzoli-Carraro into a vibrant cultural and civic hub. Completed in 2022, the 4,000-square-meter project redefines museum architecture by blending historical renovation, underground exhibition design, and contemporary cultural spaces.

A Seven-Year Architectural Journey

Over seven years of planning and construction, the project reshaped a Milanese landmark into a multifunctional museum and cultural foundation. At its core lies the Hypogeum Floor, a series of underground limestone-lined galleries inspired by ancient Etruscan tombs of Cerveteri. These dramatic caverns form the centerpiece of the museum, showcasing the Foundation’s Etruscan collection in a unique architectural setting that merges archaeology with contemporary design.

The Hypogeum: Underground Etruscan Galleries

The underground galleries comprise three circular domes and one elliptical dome, carved from pietra forte fiorentina limestone quarried in Firenzuola. Their layered stone strata recall Etruscan burial chambers while creating an immersive, otherworldly atmosphere for visitors.

Over 200 Etruscan artifacts – including cinerary urns, jewelry, bronzes, and the celebrated Cernuschi Warrior – are displayed in custom-designed, nearly invisible cases, giving the impression that the objects float in suspension. The design balances historical authenticity with modern museography, placing ancient artifacts in dialogue with works by Picasso, Giacometti, Fontana, and Kentridge.

Architectural Innovation and Cultural Continuity

The project demanded a bold engineering feat: excavating beneath the palazzo while temporarily suspending the historic structure above. Mario Cucinella described this process as both a literal and conceptual act of suspension – echoed in the museum’s display design, where artifacts seem to hover in air.

Beyond the Hypogeum, the museum extends across several levels:

• Ground floor: entrance hall, ticket office, café, bookshop, and courtyard garden designed by Greencure Marilena Baggio Studio, where visitors glimpse the domed outlines of the underground galleries.
• Piano nobile: restored with subtle modern interventions, housing permanent exhibitions.
• Second floor: dedicated to temporary exhibitions and cultural events.
• Third floor: home to the Andrea Aprea Restaurant, offering a fine dining experience with views of Milan.
• Library, archives, and study rooms: connect to the broader cultural mission of the Luigi Rovati Foundation.

A Dialogue Between Past and Future

The Fondazione Luigi Rovati is more than a museum – it is a cultural landmark for Milan, where ancient heritage meets contemporary creativity. By integrating architecture, archaeology, art, and gastronomy, the project enriches the city’s civic life and redefines the role of cultural institutions in the 21st century.

Through stone, light, and spatial narrative, Mario Cucinella Architects have created an architectural journey that connects life and afterlife, past and future, memory and innovation.

All Photographs are works of Duccio Malagamba