The new Istituto Europeo di Design schools are located in historic buildings in Milan and Bilbao
IED–Istituto Europeo di Design has opened two new venues in Milan and Bilbao. The new design schools add to the 10 sites opened over the years in Italy, Spain and Brazil. The new IED Milano on via Piranesi and Kunsthal IED Bilbao expand IED’s educational offer, providing new training and study venues, with classrooms and communal areas that stimulate creativity and sharing among students.
Kunsthal IED Bilbao
Kunstahl IED Bilbao is the third IED school in Spain, following Madrid and Barcelona. Resulting from the integration with Centro Superior de Diseño Kunsthal, Kunstahl IED Bilbao is located on the Zorrotzaurre island, in the Papelera, an industrial building designed in 1958 by Manuel Andonza. The new school fits perfectly within the island’s redevelopment project. Zorrotzaurre used to host a 600,000 sqm industrial area, later abandoned. The regeneration project of this area began in 2010 with Zaha Hadid Architects, who transformed the peninsula into an island, cutting the strip of land that connected Zorrotzaurre to the mainland. The redevelopment of the area has resulted in a new urban district in Bilbao, connected to the mainland by a series of bridges, with houses, commercial areas and facilities dedicated to art and culture.
Kunstahl IED Bilbao has students from all over the world. According to Massimo Rosi, CEO of the IED Group, this school will contribute to the development of interesting collaborations between the school’s emerging talents and the industrial and commercial fabric of the Basque Country. Moreover, in Rosi’s opinion, the ingenuity and creativity of the young designers could be useful for the new redevelopment projects of the island, which will probably be completed around 2030.
The interiors of Kunstahl IED Bilbao were designed by abr/+/ARQUITECTOS. Its spaces are inspired by the “El aula es el bar” philosophy: “The classroom is the bar”. Classrooms and communal areas are informal and flexible to meet any kind of need at any time of the day.
Discover BeneBaby International Academy, a preschool in Shenzhen, designed by VMDPE Design
IED Milano
The new IED Milano site on via Piranesi hosts the postgraduate courses of Istituto Europeo di Design. The new design school is located in the Frigoriferi Milanesi, a historical industrial complex in Milan, which currently houses FM Centro per l’Arte Contemporanea, a center dedicated to contemporary art and collecting, with exhibition spaces, galleries and artists’ archives.
Located on the top floor of this building, the new IED school covers a 3,000 sqm area and its windows overlook the surrounding landscape. The interiors were designed by BerteroProjects. Each area of the school makes the best use of space and is connected to the other in an easy and intuitive way. Glass panels divide the various areas of the school, allowing for connections and fusion between spaces.
Discover BeneBaby International Academy, a preschool in Shenzhen, designed by VMDPE Design
Furnishings are versatile and functional. For example, the work tables created by BerteroProject with architect Giorgio Grandi are completed by cork notice boards for jotting down ideas and projects. The school’s seating areas are furnished with tables, armchairs and sofas from Moroso’s M’Afrique collection. Each element in the collection, handmade in Senegalese ateliers, evokes the colors of Africa, its traditions and local craftsmanship.
