The igloo houses, located between the Maggiolina neighbourhood and the Villaggio dei Giornalisti (Journalists' Village) in the north of Milan, were originally built as temporary housing for displaced persons from the Second World War. Threatened with demolition in the 1960s, they were saved by their own residents and by the architect Luigi Figini, who had already built his famous villa a few metres away.
Since then, some of them have been renovated to repair the deterioration of the materials, in particular the roofs - the tiles have been replaced - and the facades, as well as to adapt the interiors to the needs of today's life.
One of these was purchased and underwent a major renovation to restore the house to its original appearance, at least on the outside.
Now you can spend the night in one of Milan’s igloo houses
One of the legendary residences designed by engineer Mario Cavallé in the post-war period has been converted into temporary housing. However, the renovation is not convincing everyone.

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- La redazione di Domus
- 17 February 2025
The return to white and the absence of cladding, which can be seen in the photographs of the period, characterise the project, which appears to have been altered in the interior, particularly in the choice of materials for the finishes and furniture, which evokes the Arctic environment with fake ice sculptures and all-white furnishings. Today, this two-storey mini-house is not intended for private use, but will be rented out for short stays, so much so that it can already be booked on Booking.
Opening image: Courtesy Booking.it