PORTALUPPI’S PLANETARIUM
01/12/2025
“The sundial is the poetry of time”
Piero Portaluppi
The Ulrico Hoepli Planetarium reopens its atrium after a restoration that brings back the original atmosphere envisioned by Piero Portaluppi.
A celestial map that breathes again, thanks to the work of Pictalab and the rediscovery of a decorative heritage lost after the war.
A symbolic place for the city and its relationship with time, light, and architecture.
The restoration work
What we see today is the result of a meticulous research process based on stratigraphic studies, surface analysis and the consultation of original sketches, notes and writings by Portaluppi and Hoepli. This investigation made it possible to recover the exact colour of the walls and the composition of the original celestial map.
The result is a darkness dotted with stars, welcoming visitors as a slow, contemplative threshold — exactly as Portaluppi had envisioned it. The atrium once again becomes a place of wonder, thanks to the reopening of the niches, the reinstatement of the frames and the addition of new lamps inspired by 1930s models. A respectful gesture designed to restore continuity, memory and a sense of belonging to the city, while preserving the experience of preparation for the firmament that awaits in the main hall.
Why we like it
Portaluppi is one of Senato Hotel Milano’s architectural inspirations: the hotel’s project, curated by Alessandro Bianchi, directly references Portaluppi in its metal entrance doors, floor patterns and material choices, paying homage to that balance of discreet richness and restraint that defined Portaluppi’s interiors in the 1920s and 1930s.
PLANETARIO ULRICO HOEPLI
Corso Venezia, 57 Milano