The building
The Boschi Di Stefano House Museum is located inside a building constructed between 1929 and 1931 under the supervision of architect Piero Portaluppi.
Boschi Di Stefano House Museum (1929-30) by Piero PortaluppiBoschi Di Stefano House Museum
The building was built by the company Di Stefano & Radici and display some of the most interesting facets of Portaluppi's architecture, although these were simplified for the purposes of a residential building: the facades, divided horizontally into three; the slightly asymmetrical features; the design of the mouldings; the window frames; and the iron elements.
The corner of the building features one of its most distinctive elements, as the edge of the construction pokes through the housing of the bay windows.
Piero Portaluppi
Portaluppi born in Milan in 1888, studied architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, graduating in 1910. A key figure in Milan's architectural and urban development, Portaluppi was responsible for important and original projects in various sectors: from the residential architecture of Villa Necchi-Campiglio, built in the early 30s, to the hotel stylings of the Albergo Diurno Venezia in Piazza Oberdan, which dates back to the 20s. He was also a sophisticated cartoonist and graphic designer. In the post-war period, he worked on several historic sites hit by bombing, including the Ospedale Maggiore (converted into the University of Milan) and the Convent of San Vittore (transformed into the Museum of Science and Technology).
Portaluppi also oversaw the interior design of the Via Jan building, and it shows: the entrance hall of the House Museum, with its stucco walls featuring linear ornamental motifs, its multi-coloured floor with a geometric design and its pilasters punctuating the space.
Indoor Staircase (1929-30) by Piero PortaluppiBoschi Di Stefano House Museum
The balustrade running up the internal staircase, made of dark metal interspersed with spheres; the walls painted to create a marble effect, with ribs and hints of colour.
Indoor Staircase (1929-30) by Piero PortaluppiBoschi Di Stefano House Museum
Design is king throughout, and the apartment's sophistication lies in the simplicity of the features: luxury is not flaunted at all costs; instead, it lies in the details and the carefully selected materials.
