Entryways of Milan. Ingressi di Milano (Ciltli)

First impressions count, especially inMilano. In this unprecedented photographic journey, editor Karl Kolbitz opens the door to144 of the city's most sumptuous entrance halls, captivating in their diversity and splendor. These vibrant Milanese entryways, until now hidden away behind often restrained façades, are revealed asdazzling examples of Italian modernism, mediating public and private space with vivid configurations of color and form, from floors of juxtaposed stones to murals of minimalist geometry.

The collection spansbuildings from 1920 to 1970and showcases the work of some of the city's most illustrious architects and designers, includingGiovanni Muzio,Gio Ponti,Piero Portaluppi, andLuigi Caccia Dominioni, as well as non-pedigreed architecture of equal impact and interest. The photographs for the publication were exclusively shot by Delfino Sisto Legnani, Paola Pansini, and Matthew Billings, each evoking the entryways with individual sensibility and a stylistic interplay of detail shots―such as stones, door handles, and handrails―with larger architectural views.

The images are accompanied byconcise contributionsfrom Penny Sparke, Fabrizio Ballabio, Lisa Hockemeyer, Daniel Sherer, Brian Kish, and Grazia Signori, together bringing a wealth of architecture, design, andnatural stone expertiseto guide the reader through theapplied materials and fittingsas well as the art-historical and social implications of each of theingressi. As much anarchitectural city guideas an aesthetic study, the book provides theexact addressand anannotated Milan mapfor all featured entryways, as well as the architect name and date of construction.

In the well-documented realm of 20th-century Italian design, Kolbitz has stepped over the threshold and delivereda brand new area of inquiry in Milanese modernism. With the rigor of its multifaceted research, poised photography, and breadth of its featured hallways, this is aninvigorating new reference workand an inside look at the city's design DNA across high to low architecture.

(Tanıtım Bülteninden)