Herzog & de Meuron's Fondazione Feltrinelli Nears Completion in Milan

After over three years of construction and heated public debate, the new headquarters of the Fondazione Feltrinelli in Milan, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, is nearing completion. The 188-meter-long, 32-meter-high building at Porta Volta is described by Carlo Feltrinelli as a “radical and kaleidoscopic” structure mirroring the foundation's activities. Massimiliano Tarantino, Director of Communication, stated the move signifies the foundation's commitment to public engagement and revitalizing its vast archive. The complex comprises two buildings: one for the foundation and the other for Microsoft's Milan office. Architect Jacques Herzog envisions the space as a platform for cultural debate open to all Milanese. The project has garnered both praise and criticism, with some hailing it as Herzog & de Meuron's Milan debut and others accusing it of cultural colonialism. The city will be able to experience the spaces by late 2016.