Teatro Scuola Paolo Grassi
A journey through the Paolo Grassi School, in the contrasts between inside and outside, between classrooms and theater environments.
In the second half of the 19th century in the Ticinese area and near the Naviglio Pavese canal many farms began to rise, along with by laboratories for milk production. One of these farms, the Fattoria Vittadini, which later became the Yogurt Factory, is now the headquarter of the Teatro Scuola Paolo Grassi, a landmark of the Italian formation in theater professions.
Restored by the famous architect Antonio Zanuso in 1992, it was never deprived from its industrial character. The "Black Tower" that is barely noticeable through the gate, which is the theater's roof, stands next to the chimney, an important part of the original structure and symbol of the industrial archeology of Milan. The horseshoe shaped structure is surrounded on three sides by buildings and on the fourth side it faces Parco Ravizza.
What fascinated me most about Paolo Grassi school was the big contrast between the exterior - which remained almost unchanged - and the interior, which has been completely modernized and adapted to the school's needs. Only after a few visits I realized that the long corridors always brought me to the heart of the building: the theater. This gave rise to the idea of a journey, a game of boxes characterized by the alternating colors of the classrooms, all black or white, and by the strong contrasts between light and dark.
