The Somaini Foundation is based in a complex owned by the FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) located at number 31 of Corso di Porta Vigentina. It is a well-preserved example of a “casa di ringhiera”, one of the typical social housing of old Milan, today rather rare. The building, which develops around a cobbled central courtyard and surrounded by galleries, overlooks Corso di Porta Vigentina and the medieval Via Cassolo.
The Foundation, which overlooks the internal courtyard and Via Cassolo, has spaces of different uses, renovated by the architects Maddalena Maraffi and Andrea Benzi (Numero Dieci Architetti): in addition to the office and the archive-library, there are a room for meetings or projections and two large rooms for exhibitions and events.
Environments are all equipped with modern air conditioning and lighting systems, alarm systems, video surveillance, emergency exits, entrances and toilets for people with disabilities.
