Macro Museo d’Arte Contemporanea Architecture

The architecture of the Macro Contemporary Museum on Via Reggio Emilia was unique and intriguing. It maintained the historical building with a contemporary expansion and restoration to the museum designed by architect Odile Decq. The historical building was once the Peroni Brewery built in the early twentieth century. The architecture is meant to remove traditional boundaries and ignore the urban versus cultural existences.

Italian Neorealism

ISIA, Rome - Monday, June 20th

Still of Ossessione, 1942

Italian neorealism (Italian: Neorealismo) is a style of film characterized by stories set amongst the poor and working class, filmed on lcation, frequently using nonprofessional actors. Italian neorealist films mostly contend with the difficult economic and moral conditions of post-World War II Italy, reflecting the changes in the Italian psyche and the conditions of everyday life: poverty and desperation.

source: Wikipedia

Keyword: History

Lindsay, Michelle, Alan

Grand Tour of Italy

Twenty of Carleton University's industrial design students traveled overseas to Italy with the expectations to gain a better understanding of Italian design. Throughout June we traveled to Rome, Florence, Milan and Venice; visiting a vast range of studios, manufacturing plants, schools, museums and more. Guided by our instructor Lorenzo Imbesi, we met well established designers and other people working in the industry who gave us valuable insight pertaining to the direction of where Italian design is heading. Every day of our tour was packed with scheduled meetings; we were constantly on the move with camera and sketchbook in hand.

Macro Museum (Video)

Macro Museum - Rome, Milano – June 19^th



- Alan, Michelle, Lindsay

Fabrica- Exploring Forms of Communication

Fabrica, Venice- Sunday, June 19th, 2011

On June 14th, we visited Fabrica, a design think tank for the Benetton group researching different forms of communication. It is a great place for young designers to experiment, grow and express themselves.

Museums’ Interactive and Fun Bathrooms

Taking a look at the playful and innovative bathrooms of the Triennale and Macro Museum

Macro Museum, Rome and Triennale Museum, Milano – June 7^th and 19^th

Alan having fun with the interactive sink in the Macro Museum in Rome :D

Over the four weeks that we have been on the Italian Design Grand Tour, we have seen an incredible amount of famous Italian designers and visited a multitude of their studios and museums. As we were absorbing the Italian culture, the stories and their design style, there is a side note to all of these that are humorous yet very unique and interactive – the bathrooms.

Renewal: History and Architecture

Maxxi Museum, MACRO Museum, Punta Della Dogana, Milan and Venice - June 17th / 19th

During our trip across Italy, we've visited many museums and art galleries, many of which were once churches, factories and various industrial buildings before being renewed and reused for the exhibition spaces they are now. Here are a few examples:

The Punta Della Dogana: aerial view and interior view