Politechnico di Milano (Video)

Politechnico di Milano - Milan - June 10, 2011







- Alan, Michelle, Lindsay

At A Glance: Politecnico di Milano

Politechnico di Milano Milan - June 9, 2011

Of all the educational institutions we have visited during our time in Italy, Politecnico di Milano stands out as one of the most highly developed schools for students of engineering and design. Originally called "Istituto Tecnico Superiore", Politecnico was established in 1863. The school has an extensive history that has greatly influenced the way in which it operates to this day.

We were personally welcomed to Milan by the dean of the school, who explained to us the general layout of the Politecnico Network. Politecnico is divided into 7 different campuses that are scattered across Italy, each dedicated to a specific range of studies. We visited the Bovisa campus, which itself is divided into two campuses, one for industrial engineering and the other for design and architecture.

Leonardo Da Vinci, the Multidisciplinary Designer

National Museum of Science and Technology: Leonardo Da Vinci , Milan - Thursday, June 9th, 2011

Located in Milan, Museo Nazionale della Scienze e della Tecnologia Leonardo Da Vinci is Italy’s largest science and technology museum. The museum features a collection of reconstructed models of Leonardo Da Vinci’s machines.

Nudity in Italy

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

Many people think of Italy as a country with a very old history (which is true) and conservative values. However, after walking down the streets of Italy, I noticed that they are a lot more liberal (and some would say vulgar) when it comes to depicting the human body. They frequently use nude photos (especially of women) in their advertising techniques, which almost never happens in North America, at least not for something that isn't supposed to be edgy or racy. Here are a couple images I've seen since our trip to Italy began (sorry for the quality, but most were through store windows in a hurry).

Some images are playful (and are from the side)....

The Accessibility of Design Through the Design Library

The design library an open window to young designers in Italy and soon around the world

Design Library, Milano – Thursday, June 9^th

Part of the Design Library's collection of books and magazines

The Design Library in Milan is an example of easy accessibility to the world of design to young designers. With its >5000 books and >1500 magazines, its lectures on every Thursday and a swirl of events that take place, it’s difficult for young and professional designers to resist the curiosity and knowledge that the library provides. What’s even more beneficial is that anyone is able to present at any lecture, not just famous designers or design professors. With the many styles of lectures – for example the Castiglioni format (finding objects in the streets and explain why you picked it) or the Vitamin D format (young designers, <35 years old, get a half hour to talk about themselves and their work), many varieties are given to the students and young designers in terms of witnessing different perspectives of design and its diversity.

This library is just an example of the many outlets of design that young designers get exposed to in Italy. The degree of accessibility is incredibly high – especially through the amount of design museums, exhibitions, studios and even retail stores and shops. The number of studios and museums that we’ve been to are minimal compared to the amount in Italy itself and we’ve visited a LOT! 

Shannon, Victoria, Calvin

The Studio of Mendini

A glimpse of the nature of Alessandro Mendini and his studio

Studio of Alessandro Mendini, Milano – Friday, June 10^th

A view of Mendini's design studio

One of the most colorfully themed designers that we have met on this Grand Tour was Alessandro Mendini. If you take one step into his studio, you will almost be overwhelmed by all the colors that you are confronted with. 

The Story of the Black Submarine

The journey of the icon of the Science and Technology Museum

 

Museum of Science and Technique (Leonardo’s Machines), Milano – Thursday, June 9^th

Enrico Toti at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan today

The big and black submarine at the museum of Science and Technology, called the Enrico Toti, was constructed at the height of the Cold War in 1967 with a mission to track Russian nuclear-propelled submarines. It was disarmed and retired in the 1990s and after years of discussion, the final decision was to relocate it to the museum of Science and Technology in Milan. The entire journey of this massive moving trip was 92 km long, lasting 11 days.