MILAN — In what is likely to be a powerful move that will reshape the city’s iconic shopping arcade, Prada Galleria will open in September as a multifloor experience located at the heart of Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
Construction of the Galleria began in 1865 and, located within a four-story double arcade a few steps away from the Duomo cathedral, it is a major landmark in Milan and the site of the original 1913 Fratelli Prada boutique.
“In the very place where the Prada story began more than a century ago, we embraced the opportunity to create a unique destination that reflects the richness and cultural relevance of Prada’s universe,” said Andrea Guerra, chief executive officer of the Prada Group.
The existing Prada stores in Milan’s Via Montenapoleone will continue to operate.
For the first time, Prada Galleria will bring together under one roof the full universe of the brand, including the women’s and men’s stores; pastry shop and restaurant Marchesi 1824; Osservatorio Fondazione Prada; an exclusive private client salon, and an exhibition dedicated to the history and future of the brand.
“Building on the visionary legacy of Prada’s flagship stores, this new venue represents a further evolution of our retail experience, combining exceptional hospitality, curated cultural experiences, and an enriched retail offering,” said Guerra. “Deeply rooted in the brand’s heritage, the new project offers a compelling expression of Prada’s world view, fostering meaningful engagement with the brand through an elevated client experience where culture, creativity, hospitality and retail come together.”
The windows at Prada’s men’s store in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan.
Courtesy of Prada
The project spans both sides of the Galleria under the central dome, with the women’s boutique facing the men’s banner extending upward to occupy every level above the latter. The women’s store will be expanded, and the two units will be linked by a new underground passage.
Above the men’s store, which first opened in July 2013, new spaces will include a dedicated floor for private shopping and made-to-measure appointments, as well as special categories such as fine jewelry; a floor for hosting brand events and special guests, and Pradasphere, a floor with a public exhibition tracing more than a century of the brand’s creativity. These additions join the existing Marchesi 1824 and Osservatorio Fondazione Prada, a space devoted to visual experimentation and research.
Marchesi, which the group acquired in 2014, opened in the Galleria in September 2016, its third location in Milan, followed in December that year by Osservatorio Fondazione Prada dedicated to contemporary photography and visual art.
Pasticceria Marchesi Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.
AGOSTINO OSIO
Prada is not new to introducing innovative store concepts, starting with merging retail with architecture, art and culture in the first Epicenter introduced in New York in 2001 on Broadway, designed by Rem Koolhaas and his architecture studio OMA. One of the most distinctive architectural features of that store is its unobstructed 60-meter north wall, extending the full length of a city block.
This was followed by Prada Epicenters in Los Angeles and Tokyo, designed by Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren and Herzog & de Meuron, respectively.
Prada Rong Zhai in downtown Shanghai.
Courtesy/Seth Powers
For example, in Shanghai MiShang Prada Rong Zhai opened at the end of March last year, in a collaboration with director Wong Kar Wai and comprising the first Prada stand-alone fine dining space in Asia, The Pastry Shop inspired by Prada’s first store in the Galleria, The Caffé, The Study, The Lounge, The Dining Room and The Terrace, a modern reimagining of Arcadia Hall — Shanghai’s first open-air lounge welcoming women in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Furnished with 1930s Italian bamboo tables and chairs, it blends Chinese-inspired design with historical cross-leg seating, traditionally associated with women. The current executive chef is Riccardo La Perna.
Prada in 2017 restored the Rong Zhai 1918 historic mansion in Shanghai as a cultural hub for the brand in China.
A Prada Caffè opened in December 2024 at the then-new ION Orchard boutique in Singapore.