Space and Form in Two Nursery Schools by Marco Zanuso and Cini Boeri

The two schools designed by Marco Zanuso (1916-2001), although by the same author, yield dissimilar results. The nursery schools designed in Milan (1953) and Gubbio (1958-59) have different clients, are located in different contexts, and have slightly different programs. It is natural for an authentically modern architect to conceive diverse formal solutions that effectively respond to similar requests. The work of the Milanese architect has been repeatedly linked to the idea of scientific precision, mainly because of his heavy involvement in Italian industrial design. This aspect of his career has often overshadowed his undoubtedly interesting architectural production. Nevertheless, in these two projects, formal and spatial qualities are evident: both envision a poetic universe for children to live in. Taking this fact into consideration, furnishing is a pivotal part of the project in both nursery schools anyway. It marries happily with the building envelope, participating in its philosophy of educational space. The fundamental collaboration of Cini Boeri (1924-2020) in the design of these elements will represent the leitmotif of the two kindergartens. Although not fully developed in Milan, this synthesis would become evident in Gubbio a few years later.