On Monday, Armani [2] met with the mayor of Milan, Giuliano Pisapia [3], about an area he purchased last year. He will be investing 50 million euros into the project. This area, a former Nestlé factory known as Silos Armani, will be a permanent exhibition of Armani’s designs and sketches, as well as his new head office. Armani wants to make the space open to the public and other projects.

Armani reported that “work is underway inside,” but he wants to take his time to build up the museum. Armani is also putting a lot of work into Expo Milano 2015 [4], whose opening will coincide with Silos Armani.

Other designers are contributing to Milan, with Versace [5], Prada [6], and Feltrinelli [7] contributing millions of euros to the restoration of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II [8]. The 13-month restoration will be finished in April, around the opening of the Expo. The new space for Fondazione Prada will also open in the spring, on May 9th.

It was originally created in 1993 as a place to analyze present times though art exhibitions, architecture, cinema and philosophy projects. Fondazione Prada staged 24 shows in Milan before 2010. 

In 2011 it opened its Venetian venue at Ca’ Corner della Regina, an 18th century 

palazzo on the Grand Canal in Venice.

The new Fondazione Prada is projected in a former industrial complex dating back to the 20th century called Largo Isarco. They are also planning on building three new buildings under the renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhas [9].

The Italian high fashion designer Laura Biagiotti [10] is lenting Giacomo Balla [11]’s “Genio Futurista”, created for the 1925 Paris Universal Exposition [12]. The painting is part of the Fondazione Biagiotti Cigna collection, which includes over 200 works by the artist. According to ANSA news, Biagiotti lent it to the Expo because “it will be an extraordinary event where there will be space for spiritual nourishment as the art suggests, as well as to deal with nutrition-related issues.”

The September fashion shows aims to be more international, with an extra day on the catwalks for solely Chinese designers.

The Expo has also inspired a collection of clothing by the Tuscan brand Landi Fancy [13], which will include T-shirts and jackets with Milan’s attractions on it, an underground map, and the word “Expo.”