Vittorio Sgarbi attacks Milan bike lanes as 'disfiguring'
In a Corriere della Sera interview on April 29, 2023, Italian undersecretary for culture Vittorio Sgarbi criticized Milan's demolition of a 1920s building in Piazza Trento and opposed new bike lanes on Corso Sempione, calling them an 'horror that disfigures the avenues of French Milan.' The demolished building, near Rem Koolhaas's Fondazione Prada tower, SOM's Olympic Village, and the future Faro tower by Citterio and Viel, was not protected. Studio Park Associati will design a mixed-use complex on the site. Sgarbi's remarks sparked controversy, especially given recent cyclist deaths in Milan. The article argues that cars, not bikes, disfigure Milan's historic avenues.
Key facts
- Vittorio Sgarbi criticized bike lanes on Corso Sempione in a Corriere della Sera interview on April 29, 2023.
- Sgarbi called bike lanes an 'horror that disfigures the avenues of French Milan.'
- A 1920s building in Piazza Trento, Milan, was demolished; it was not protected and had no architectural value.
- The building was near Fondazione Prada (Rem Koolhaas), Villaggio Olimpico (SOM), and future Faro tower (Citterio and Viel).
- Studio Park Associati will design a new mixed-use building on the site.
- Sgarbi also opposed demolition of old fair pavilions for CityLife and called for neon ads on Palazzo Carminati in Piazza Duomo.
- The article notes that Milan tolerates cars parking on sidewalks, disfiguring historic avenues.
- A recent cyclist death in Milan was mentioned: a woman left a six-year-old daughter.
Entities
Artists
- Vittorio Sgarbi
- Rem Koolhaas
- Citterio
- Viel
- Lorenzo Salvini
- Pierluigi Panza
- Cesare Berruto
- Massimiliano Tonelli
Institutions
- Corriere della Sera
- Fondazione Prada
- SOM
- Park Associati
- Regione Lombardia
- Essilor Luxottica
- Europ Assistance
- Artribune
- Comune di Milano
Locations
- Milan
- Piazza Trento
- Corso Sempione
- Piazza Duomo
- Palazzo Carminati
- Stazione Centrale
- Hotel Michelangelo
- CityLife
- Italy