Piero Lissoni's Apartment Featured in DDN Magazine

Piero Lissoni's apartment was featured in DDN magazine Issue 167.
written by Elena Plebani
photography by Cristina Fiorentini

Light bathes the ample space of the apartment designed in Milan by architect Piero Lissoni.  It is located on the top floor of a Rationalist building from the 1940's, in an area of the city with a specific identity rooted in the homogeneity and severity of the architecture of that period.  The apartment occupies the entire floor and is open on all four sides, enjoying a full 360 degree view, where the light that enters through the large windows and glass doors determines the quality of the spaces.  Its location on the top floor makes this apartment feel like a single family home on 200 square meters, surrounded by the sky.  The two walls that lead to the terraces, 50 square meters each, were replaced by glass panels, giving the impression of living in a house.  The outer perimeter walls were preserved, but inside all the partitions that divided the existing apartments were demolished to create a single space, where the sleeping area is distinct from the living area.  The entrance door opens directly onto the living room: on one side it leads to the sleeping area and on the other to the living and dining room, and kitchen.  The entire apartment creates a sense of order and continuity.  The atmosphere of the home is distinguished by the style that Piero Lissoni brings to his design products as well: total respect for the human scale and for proportion, to create a balance between solids and voids, making the space essential, but not commonplace.   

The strictly white floors and walls highlight the objects that tell the personal story of its inhabitant, along with the furniture, chosen specifically for its importance to the history of design.  The result is an absolutely contemporary, but not trendy, home.  There is very little furniture designed by Piero Lissoni, leaving much more space for the great designers: Le Corbusier, Achille Castiglioni, Ettore Sottssas, Poul Kjaerholm, George Nelson, Hans J. Wegner.  Ethnic furniture and antiques are positioned with extreme care to enhance their value and their beauty.  The living and dining room open with sliding doors onto the terrace; at the center of the living room stands the fireplace, underplayed by the projecting white brick wall.  The other terrace is accessible from the bedroom, where the absence of curtains creates a total relationship with the outdoors and makes it possible to enjoy the light and the view of the city.  The kitchen looks like a laboratory that turns ingredients into food.  The man of the house likes to cook and have everything he needs at arm's length, therefore special attention was focused on the functionality.  The kitchen is adjacent to the dining area: the regularity of the space is emphasized by the square table standing at the center of the space.