Arrigo Arrighetti: a public architect

By Salvatore Porcaro | Photos by Pino Musí

Arrigo Arrighetti - Photo © Pino Musi
Arrigo Arrighetti - Photo © Pino Musi

The photo series narrates the work of a master of Italian architecture who was able to combine public commitment with quality design. In the 1960s and 1970s Arrigo Arrighetti, architect and urbanist, director of the Technical Division of the City of Milan, created some of the city’s most interesting and innovative buildings, with a focus on form, architectural structure and construction details, such as the subsidized housing in the Sant’Ambrogio district, schools like the Istituto Martin Luther King at QT8, the Solari swimming pool, and iconic places of worship.

The photographs by Pino Musi, together with archival documents and drawings, were utilized to set up one of the exhibitions in the 2023 edition of Dropcity, curated by the architect Andrea Caputo with the title Dropcity Convention, from 15 to 23 April, with exhibit design by the group HPO.

Dropcity is the new center for architecture and design being created along Via Sammartini in Milan, inside the Magazzini Raccordati of the Central Station. The project is an initiative that stems from an idea of the architect Andrea Caputo in 2018, with the aim of formulating a place of gathering and debate on architecture, design and the contemporary city. The opening is slated for the first months of 2024.

Developed thanks to Nhood, Dropcity represents an unprecedented urban model in Europe, with over 10,000 square meters, subdivided into 28 tunnels, which will host galleries, production ateliers, woodworking shops, facilities for robotics and advanced prototyping. A large area will be set aside for research, education and office spaces for sector professionals. The program also includes a materials library and a public library, with a focus on themes of architecture and design.

Photo © Pino Musi