Contemporary culture finds its home here, with the concept entrusted to the (ab)Normal design studio, with the vision being to create a multimedia universe where fashion, design, art, performance, music, and visual culture meet to inspire the creative minds of the future.
The site is part of an important urban regeneration project established in 2016 by the real estate company Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Group and by PW Real Estate Fund III LP, a fund managed by Aermont Capital, with the project management of MTDM – Manifattura Tabacchi Development Management Srl.
The new Polimoda project will be created on three levels of the B4 building, featuring a panoramic sky room. The spaces will host the new fashion library and almost 2,000 m2 of workshop space for students, as well as a 400 mq exhibition space. There will be dedicated displays and conservation spaces for fabrics, clothing, and accessories, as well as photoshoot sets and shelves for research consultation.
A pitched roof with naves and bays was inspired by the structures designed by Pier Luigi Nervi, dividing the space into 27 interlinking rooms. Temporary installations will also find a home, with inclined floors, LED screens, stands, and hangings facilitating an ever-evolving exhibition space. Lounges, meeting rooms, and lecture spaces will be separated in interesting ways by scaffolding and sound-absorbing curtains to create a dynamic and flexible use of space.
Over 29,000 volumes will be available for consultation, with more than 600 magazines from the mid-late 19th century through to today and more than 1,000 fashion look books and commercial catalogues as well as an amply stocked fashion, art films, and documentaries section, making it one of the largest fashion libraries in Europe. A digital platform will also be constructed, designed with the aim of creating an interconnection between the archive and the library, making it a valuable tool for both researchers and enthusiasts around the world. Work is expected to begin in early 2024.
ANARCHIVE in numbers
3 levels of the B4 building
2,000 mq for workshops
1,200 mq fashion library
400 mq exhibition space
Over 7,000 mq in total
29,000 volumes
600 magazines
1,000 lookbooks and catalogues
