Formerly closed to the public and empty for a decade, Villa Borsani reopened in 2020 ahead of a major retrospective of Osvaldo Borsani, the Italian architect who once owned it, at the Triennale di Milano. This year, it will open again, as a backdrop to the popular Alcova design fair (15–21 April 2024). It will be intriguing to see how the fair (which usually takes place in abandoned or at least rough-around-the-edges venues – recall the 2023 iteration, which was staged in a former slaughterhouse in Viale Molise, and the 2022 event, in an abandoned military hospital) interacts with the villa’s immaculately preserved mid-century interiors.
‘In its seventh iteration, Alcova introduces a novel approach by selecting not abandoned or inaccessible sites but rather two renowned villas in the Milan metropolitan area: Villa Borsani and Villa Bagatti Valsecchi,’ says Alcova curator Valentina Ciuffi. These venues offer distinct yet complementary spaces and architectural characters. ‘Villa Borsani is a residential architectural jewel. It includes unusual artistic elements, including a fireplace by Argentinian sculptor Lucio Fontana, making it an exceptional example of Modernist design.’
Built during World War II and completed in 1945, the villa was designed and built by Borsani himself for use as a family home, conveniently located adjacent to his furniture factory. It remains a rare example of the architect’s richly layered style, which incorporates distinctive decorative features by artists. It is preserved today as a private residence by the family’s descendants, and also houses the Archivio Osvaldo Borsani.
