COMPETITION NOTICE for the Museum of the Twentieth Century in the
Arengario
INTRODUCTION
Milan City Council, and in particular the Councillor for Culture and Museums and the Museums and
Exhibitions Department Management have identified the Arengario as the best setting for a true Museum of
the 20th Century. There is in particular a wish to house the civic collections that were on show from 1984 to
1999 in the temporary premises on the second floor of Palazzo Reale. These include more than three
thousand works, among them authentic masterpieces, that document the main strands of the history of Italian
art from the beginning of the century until the early eighties: including Futurism, the Metaphysical, the
Twentieth Century, the Roman School, the Corrente, Informal, Arte Povera and Transavanguardia.
Built in the thirties to a design by the architects Portaluppi, Muzio, Magistretti and Griffini, with a facade
decorated in high-relief work by Arturo Martini, the Arengario is regarded as a place of architectural interest
that is significant and consistent with the aims of the 20th Century Museum.
Winner of the 1937 architectural competition, the design for the Arengario marked the conclusion of the
process of urban renewal of the centre of Milan that had begun just after the unification of Italy, in keeping
with the general plan drawn up by the architect Mengoni, who had given the area around the Cathedral (the
Duomo) a monumental character. The Arengario was built after the demolition of the Manica Lunga (Long
Wing) of Palazzo Reale, completing the creation of the new Piazza Diaz.
Milan City Council began the restoration of Palazzo Reale in 1980 with the aim of using it as exhibition
premises and for the Royal Palace Museum.
From 1978 to 1989 a series of professional tasks were conferred upon the B.B.P.R. Consultancy, in the
persons of Ludovico and Alberico Barbiano di Belgiojoso, for planning the complete refurbishment of Palazzo
Reale and adapting it as an exhibition centre, the work being divided into several lots culminating in the
recent award of the 3rd lot.
The work relating to the 1st lot and the so-called intermediate lot made it possible to reorganise the
underground areas and the ground floor, currently occupied by scheduled exhibitions. The 2nd lot, which will
be completed in a few months, concerned most of the rooms of the royal floor, including the Caryatid Room,
for the creation of the Royal Palace Museum and other spaces for exhibitions and events. The 3rd lot of work
will bring the refurbishment of the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Palace to completion.
The Arengario was not included in this task because of the Administration’s wish to give it a separate
character and to turn it into the premises of the Museum of the Twentieth Century. However, it has to remain
linked to Palazzo Reale, on whose 2nd floor (3rd lot of work) the Jucker, Vismara, and Marino Marini
collections, which are currently at Villa Reale, will be exhibited.
1. Aim of the competition
Milan City Council, the Council Office for Culture and Museums, the Council Office for Development of the
Area and City Furnishing, gives notice of a design competition to be held in two stages, with an open
procedure, the aim being the restoration and preservation of the building in Piazza del Duomo known as the
Arengario, as well as a proposal for setting-up inside it, in connection with the adjacent Palazzo Reale, a new
Museum of the Twentieth Century, destined to house the art collections of Milan City Council relating to the
years 1900 to about 1975.
The useful areas are about 6,000 sq.m. above ground, 2,500 sq.m. below ground and 500 sq.m. in the
garret, with a total of 9,000 sq.m.
The Museum has to provide for:
-
Exhibition spaces for about 1,000 works of the civic art collections of the 20th century (5,000 sq.m.)
-
Storage areas (for a further 2,000 works) (2,000 sq.m.)
-
Technical services and systems
-
Spaces for the ground floor hall with ample arrangements for informing citizens and tourists (having the
functions of the current tourist office), with a shop / book-shop and a small café (500 sq.m.)
(1,000 sq.m.)
-
Spaces for small exhibitions and small events
(500 sq.m.)
1.1 Design guidelines
The design guidelines are included in the informative material about the competition in point 2.3.
1.2 Cost of the work
The planned overall cost of the work is about 50 billion lire on the basis of the following parameter values:
Building work
Systems
Museum preparation
L. 2,300,000 sq.m.
L. 1,200,000 sq.m.
L 800,000 sq.m.
Total
L. 4,000,000 sq.m.
2. Competition procedures
2.1 Type of competition and publication of the Notice
The design competition is divided into two stages:
1st Stage
presentation in anonymous form of proposed ideas, which will be selected without creating a
merit classification list and without awarding prizes.
2nd Stage
presentation of preliminary plans by 5 individual subjects chosen by evaluation of the
proposed ideas put forward during the first stage.
The task of producing the definitive executive design will be entrusted to the final winner, if in possession of
the requirements specified in the Competition Notice.
The competition is open to architects and design engineers of the European Union, registered with their
respective professional associations or at least registered with the related professional registers in their home
countries, and thus authorised to exercise the profession and to participate in architectural design
competitions as at the date of publication of the competition notice.
Such persons may participate individually or jointly and also through groups or associations or companies
provided that in any case the name is given of the architect who will act as individual legal representative, or
of the design group (as this involves a listed building under the terms of law 1089/39 “Protection of things of
artistic and historical interest”).
This notice will be published in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic and sent to the Office for Official
Publications of the European Union. A copy of the notice (*) will be published in two of the main national
newspapers.
(*) An extract of it, twelve days after sending the notice to the Office for Official Publications of the European
Union.
2.2 Competition Office
For the COMPETITION OFFICE of MILAN CITY COUNCIL
Raffaella Poletti and Melissa Martinelli
e-mail: arengario@milanoprogetti.org
http://www.milanoprogetti.org
Tel. 02/89013883 – 0335/7250295
Fax 02-89016739
2.3 Informative material
The informative material useful for participation in the competition may be requested by letter, fax or e-mail at
the competition office.
From the publication date to 18 August and from 1 September to October 2000 the Competition Office will
send a copy of the documentation by post to those who make a written request for it.
The informative material mentioned in item 1.1 consists of:
Design guidelines:
- basic cartographic documents necessary for preparing the design, consisting of a series of copies and / or
CD-Roms in DWG and DXF formats, including:

general planimetry of the area, scale 1: 2,000

general planimetry of the complex, scale 1 : 500 u.c.

plans and significant sections of the buildings involved in the project, scale 1: 200

a series of photographic views in colour

a list of the works to be housed in the new museum and a description of the main ones.
2.4 Jury
The Jury consists of serving and substitute members and is the same for both stages of the competition.
When a serving member is absent, he or she will be permanently replaced by a substitute member appointed
by the Jury Chairman. In view of this the substitute members will take full part in the Jury’s work, albeit not
having voting rights.
The jury’s decision is binding.
A person appointed by the Milan City Council Competition Office will moreover take part in the Jury’s work as
minutes secretary, without voting rights.
Decisions will be made by simple majority. Jury meetings require a quorum of at least 5 members.
The Jury’s work is secret. Minutes will be taken and written by the Secretary, and will be held for safe keeping
by the Notice-issuing Body, which will send a copy to the Boards of the Professional Associations at the end
of the competition.
The final reports of the Jury’s work for each stage are public and will contain a brief explanation of the
methodology followed and of the evaluation proceedings as well as the list of designs chosen, accompanied
by the related reasons.
Designs received both during the first and the second stage will be examined by the Technical Commission
for the purposes of a preliminary check to be submitted to the Jury.
In every instance all final decisions will be taken by the Jury, also as regards the reasons for exclusion listed
in point 7, on which the Technical Commission will give a preliminary opinion.
The Jury is made up as follows:
Achille Castiglioni (architect), Chairman
Alessandra Mottola Molfino (Director of the Central Management of Culture and Museums, Sport and Free
Time, of Milan City Council)
Antonio Acerbo (Director of the Technical Central Management of Milan City Council)
Maria Teresa Fiorio (Director of the Civic Art Collections of Milan City Council)
Pierluigi Nicolin (architect, editor of Lotus, Milan)
Sandra Pinto (Director of the National Gallery of Modern Art, Rome)
A representative of the National Architects’ Council (C.N.A)
Substitutes:
Lucia Matino (Curator of the Civic Art Collections of Milan City Council)
Giovanni Oggioni (Director of the Milan City Council Competition Office)
Paolo Simonetti (Milan City Council Urban Planning and Design Office)
Substitute from the National Architects’ Council (C.N.A.)
2.5 Technical Commission
The Technical Commission that will carry out the preliminary check of the designs consists of:
Enrico Boccardo (Director of the Cost Estimates and Control Sector of Milan City Council)
Paola Clivio (Culture, Museums and Exhibitions Sector of Milan City Council)
Anna Giorgi (consultant architect)
Cristina Guizzetti (Town Planning and Design Sector of Milan City Council)
Giovanni Varesi (Central Technical Management of Milan City Council)
2.6 Exclusion conditions
Valid for all members of the participating groups.
The following people may not take part in the competition:

Serving or substitute members of the Jury.

Staff of the Office.

Members of the Technical Commission of the competition.

Spouses, relatives and kinsmen up to three degrees removed of those who fall into the abovementioned categories.

Employees of Jury members or of the Notice-issuing Body.

Anyone who was involved in drawing up the notice and the attached documents.

Anyone who has a relationship of continuous co-ordinated work with the Notice-issuing Body.

Anyone to whom the conditions listed in article 11 of Legislative Decree 358 / 92 apply.
It must be pointed out that the relationship arising between members of a professional body or between those
who are occasionally given a task by a Body to carry out the same type of service is not to be regarded as an
on-going and generally-known relationship, even where this occurs during the time span of the competition.
3. First stage
3.1 Method of participation
Participation in the first stage of the competition takes place anonymously.
Each design must be identified by a motto. The motto must appear on every plan that forms part of the
design and on the envelope containing the personal details of the competitor.
The following documents must be contained in an opaque, sealed envelope bearing on its outside the same
motto that appears on the design plans:
- list of all the members of the group or consultants and collaborators, complete with their personal details
and with details of their registration with a professional association;
- appointment of the group leader, signed by all the members and notification of the address to which the
Competition Office may send communications;
- declaration, for all members of the group, that there are no grounds for incompatibility with taking on the
task, and, for employees of public bodies, authorisation from the Body to participate in the competition.
Note: competitors must submit, inside the sealed envelope, declarations in lieu of certification (art. 2, law 4
January 1968, no. 15 and art. 1, sub-paragraph 1, presidential decree of 20 October 1998, no. 403) or
declarations in lieu of affidavit (art. 4, law no. 15/68 and art. 2, sub-paragraph 1, presidential decree no.
403/98), non-authenticated (art. 2, law no. 15/68; art. 2, sub-paragraph 11, law no. 191/98), these being
dated not earlier than six months before the date of presentation of the participation request (art. 2, subparagraph 3, law no. 127/97, as modified by law no. 191/98, art. 6, sub-paragraph 1, presidential decree no.
403/98), and also a non-authenticated photocopy of an identity document of the person who signs it (art. 3,
sub-paragraph 1, law no. 127/97, as modified by law no. 191/98), as indicated below:
A) For competitors of the entrepreneurial type, a declaration in lieu of certification stating that the person who
signs the declarations mentioned in point C herein is the legal representative of the company.
B) For competitors of the entrepreneurial type, a declaration in lieu of certification of their registration in the
Company Register or a similar professional register of a state belonging to the EU, for competitors who are
non-resident in Italy, which shows that the competitor conducts an activity similar to that which is the aim of
the competition; for competitors who are free professionals a declaration in lieu of certification of their
registration with the professional associations to which they belong and, for competitors who are non-resident
in Italy, similar foreign professional associations.
C) A declaration in lieu of certification in which the competitor testifies, on his own responsibility, that he is not
subject to any of the conditions listed in art. 11, letters b) and e) of the Legislative Decree of 24 July 1992, no.
358 and subsequent modifications.
D) Declaration in lieu of affidavit in which the competitor testifies, on his own responsibility, that he is not
subject to any of the conditions listed in art. 11, letters a), b), c), d), and e) of Legislative Decree no. 358 of 24
July 1992, and subsequent modifications.
Under the terms of art. 17 of law no. 109/94 and subsequent modifications, requests to participate in the
competition may be submitted by individual free professionals and those associated in the ways described in
law no. 1815 of 23 November 1939 and subsequent modifications, firms of professionals as described in subparagraph 6, letter b) of art. 17 mentioned above, engineering companies as described in sub-paragraph 6,
letter b) of art. 17 mentioned above, temporary groupings made up of persons as described above or where
the same persons declare that they wish to constitute such groupings, to whom apply, as they are
compatible, the provisions described in art. 13 of law no. 109/94 and subsequent modifications.
The declaration must identify the person who will assume the role of agent / group leader. In view of what is
specified in the next point, this person must be an architect.
Under the terms of art. 17, sub-paragraph 8 of law 109 of 11 February 1994 and subsequent modifications,
and of Royal Decree no. 2537 of 23/10/1925 art. 52, competitors who participate in associated form must
indicate, when they submit their design, the name of the architect who will be personally responsible for
carrying out the task.
3.2 Required plans
Participation in the first stage of the competition calls for the formulation of design ideas for the operation, to
be illustrated by the following documents:
* a drawing in “A0” format on a stiff backing showing a general planimetry of the project area, with free choice
of scale, and other drawings chosen by the competitor (extracts from the plan in larger scale, sections,
sketches, details, etc.)
* two copies of a typewritten report, with a maximum of 3 pages (front and back) in “A4” format, with not more
than 2,000 byte each, plus the cover (if there is one) and two copies of a slide (in 35 mm format) of the
drawing.
The design plans must be sealed in a packet bearing the motto on the outside.
None of the described material will be returned to the competitor.
The material must be sent in a packet addressed to:
Comune di Milano
SETTORE CULTURA MUSEI E MOSTRE
Concorso di progettazione del Museo del Novecento nell’Arengario
via T. Marino 7, 20121 Milano
Ufficio Protocollo, IV piano.
(Milan City Council
Culture, Museums And Exhibitions Sector
Competition for the design of the Museum of the Twentieth Century in the Arengario
7, via T. Marino, 20121 Milan
Registry Office, Fourth floor)
Hours: from Monday to Friday, 8.30-12.30/14.00-16.00. Closed on Saturday and holidays.
3.3 Time limit for delivery of the plans
The competitors must deliver the plans described above (plans of the design and envelope containing the
details of the competitors themselves) by 16.00 on the 90th. day following publication of the Notice in the
Official Gazette. As regards plans sent by post, the postmark showing the date of sending will be taken as
proof. In this case plans that arrive within five days and not more after the expiry date will be accepted.
The packet of plans of the design and the envelope with the details of the competitors must be sealed in a
single package addressed as described in point 3.2.
In order to preserve anonymity, the following must be used as the sender’s name and address: “Comune di
Milano - Settore Urbanistica Piano Regolatore – Ufficio Concorsi di Progettazione – “Concorso di
Progettazione per il Museo del Novecento nell'Arengario” - via Pirelli 39 - 20100 Milano” - (Milan City Council
- City Planning Sector - Office of Design Competitions - “Competition for the Design of the Museum of the
20th Century in the Arengario” - 39 Via Pirelli, 20100 Milan)
3.4 Access to the competition area
On 15 September 2000 at 9.30 there will be an on-site inspection of the competition area. In order to
participate it will be necessary to book by sending a fax to the competition office during the week before the
inspection date.
3.5 Jury work
Within 30 days following the time limit for applying, the Jury will select the 5 designers who will participate in
the second stage of the competition.
As this is an anonymous competition, the Jury will not open the sealed envelopes until it has chosen the
designs. After opening the sealed envelopes it will check the documents. If as a result of this check the Jury
considers the participation of one of the designers selected for the second phase to be incompatible, it will
resolve to disqualify the competitor.
The final reports of the first stage of the Jury’s work will contain a brief explanation of the methodology
followed and of the evaluation proceedings as well as the list of designs chosen, accompanied by the related
reasons.
3.6 The Jury’s assessment criteria
In reaching its decision the Jury will take account of the following elements (in the same order):
1.
Quality of the architectural solution and of the cultural programme: max. 35 points:
2.
Links with the museums of Palazzo Reale: max. 20 points:
3.
Method of achieving a relationship with the historical context of the Arengario that is to be preserved:
max. 20 points:
4.
Extent to which the functional aims of the Museum are met: max. 15 points:
5.
Economic and technical viability of the building programme: max. 10 points.
3.7 Outcome of the first stage of the competition
Written notice of the outcome of the jury’s work will be given/sent to the competitors selected for the second
stage. A list of the selected designs will moreover be published on the Internet site already mentioned in point
2.2.
4. Second stage
4.1 Participation in the second stage of the competition
The second stage of the competition will be conducted openly.
The composition of a design group cannot be changed between the first and second stages of the
competition except where there are serious grounds that are adequately justified, and in no instance can the
group be enlarged.
The designers selected for the second stage of the competition will have to prepare a preliminary design in
keeping with the requirements set by the regulation in force on the notice publication date, on the basis of the
documentation supplied by the Notice-issuing Body.
The designers will be invited to a collective on-site inspection of the competition area which will be followed
by a meeting organised with representatives of the Notice-issuing Body, the Technical Commission and the
Competition Office. The competitor’s legal representative or a representative chosen by the group may take
part, accompanied by not more than one collaborator. The minutes of this meeting will be made available to
all competitors.
4.2 Requests for clarification
The selected designers may make requests for clarification on the notice and its annexes in written form up
to 30 January 2001.
Within 15 days of that date all the competitors will be sent a summary of these queries and the related replies
by fax and/or E-mail.
4.3 Design plans and method of delivery
The plans include what required for the composition of the preliminary design under the terms of art. 16 of
law no. 109 of 1994 and in particular:
Drawing no. 1
general planimetry, sections and perspectives of the building with insertion of the
design and of the proposals for connection with Palazzo Reale, scale 1 : 500
Drawing. no. 2
planimetry of the individual floors indicating the exhibition route and the layout of the
works, scale 1 : 200, as well as the main elements of the exhibition set-up;
Drawing no. 3
graphics (plans, perspectives and sections) describing the architectural solutions
proposed for the different functions, construction details useful for understanding any
building technologies or special methods of setting up the museum spaces, scale 1 :
200 - 1: 100 - 1 :50
Drawing no. 4
perspectives, axonometric or any other representation suitable for illustrating the
design choices, with free choice of scale.
The four drawings, mounted on light stiff panels, shall be presented in A/0 format. The composition of the
drawings is to be arranged by the competitor in such a way as to be read when seen from its shorter side (i.e.
vertical presentation).
The drawings must be reproduced as slides in 35 mm format as well as in A/3 format, bound in 2 albums with
a further 5 pages in the same format in which, apart from a brief design report, the following matters are
described:

Organisation of the roles and duties and management criteria planned by the competitor for carrying out
the task;

Preliminary and parametric assessment of the costs of carrying out the work;

Programme for carrying out the project.
No further or different plans are allowed, on pain of exclusion.
4.4 Time limit for delivery of the plans
The plans must arrive by 16.00 on 13 March 2001 at the same address and following the same procedures
as set out for the first stage. As regards plans sent by post, a postmark showing the date of sending will be
taken as proof. In this case plans that arrive within five days and not more after the expiry date will be
accepted.
4.5 Preliminary check of the designs
The Technical Commission will carry out an examination of each design that is presented, limited to checking
that it complies with the design programme, to assessing the costs of carrying out the work, and to checking
that it meets the requirements in point 4.3.
4.6 Jury work
On 21 and 22 March 2001 the designers will be called in to give a personal explanation to the Jury of the
criteria and the solutions adopted. As regards assessment of the proposals the Jury will follow what is set out
in point 2.5.
The decisions will be taken by majority vote.
At the end of its work the Jury will make public the decision it has reached, and will also make public its final
report and its opinions of the individual designs.
4.7 Announcement of the winner and conferment of the task
The competition winner will receive the sum of 130,000,000 lire gross as a prize. Subsequently the winner will
be given the task of producing the final executive design of the new Museum of the Twentieth Century, on the
basis of the regulations and conditions that govern such professional activity in Italy and thus as set out in
Law 109/94 and subsequent modifications. The design will be developed in keeping with the specifications
set by the client.
Payment of fees relating to the final executive design will be made on the basis of the professional rates of
engineers and architects with a 20% discount under the terms of law 155/89.
The commitment of the Notice-issuing Administration as regards conferral of the task applies only to the
designer who is the legal representative of the group and does not extend to consultants, technicians and
companies that have co-operated with the legal representative during the competition.
The Notice-issuing Body reserves the right to make modifications to the design.
4.8 Reimbursement
The selected designers who delivered the plans required under point 4.3 but did not win the competition will
receive a lump sum expenses reimbursement of 30,000,000 lire each.
5. Ownership of the Competition Plans
Intellectual property and copyright of the designs presented belongs to the competing designers with the
exception of the winning design, ownership of which is acquired by the Notice-issuing Body. The Noticeissuing Administration likewise reserves the right to exhibit the presented designs to the public, to publish
them, or to give permission for their publication for purposes of cultural promotion, without any charge to the
Notice-issuing Administration.
Non-winning plans may be collected on request by the designers, such request to be made to the
Competition Office within 60 days of the conclusion of the Competition, after which they will remain the
property of the Notice-issuing Body.
6. Languages
The competition languages are Italian and English.
7. Exclusion
A competitor will be excluded if one of the following reasons applies:


if he / she presented the plans required by the notice later than the given time limits;
if the set and accepted conditions and limitations have not been respected.
8. Timetable
First stage
19 JULY 2000
Publication of the competition notice
16 OCTOBER 2000
Final time limit for delivery of the 1st stage plans
(within 90 days of publication of the notice in the Official
Gazette)
7/8/9 NOVEMBER 2000
13 NOVEMBER 2000
Jury work
Announcement of 5 selected designs
Second stage
13 MARCH 2001
Delivery of preliminary designs
21 and 22 MARCH 2001
Jury work
28 MARCH 2001
Announcement of the winner
9. Transport and insurance
Competition participants will have to pay their own postage/delivery expenses and, where desired, the costs
of insuring the plans.
10. Acceptance of the notice clauses
Participation in the competition implies unconditional acceptance on the part of every competitor of all the
regulations in this notice.
11. Procedure manager
Under the terms and for the purposes of art. 4 of Law 241 of 7 August 1990 and subsequent modifications
the Procedure Manager is architect Giovanni Varesi (Central Technical Management).