A 6,000-square-metre cultural centre carved out of the former Ansaldo industrial complex, BASE has become the social engine of the Tortona district since opening in 2016. It runs co-working spaces, artist residencies, exhibitions, talks, and a bar-restaurant, all inside the raw brick-and-iron volumes of the old workshops.
There is rarely a permanent thing to "see" here — the point is the programme, which swings from design weeks and photography shows to club nights and food events. During the Salone del Mobile in April it is one of the busiest Fuorisalone venues in the city. At any other time it is worth a look for the building itself and a coffee in its courtyard, a glimpse of how Milan keeps reinventing its industrial bones.