This villa for sale near Milan is a manifesto of residential brutalism

An intricate composition of volumes and glass defines the large brutalist villa designed by Francesco Castiglioni in Cusano Milanino. Surrounded by varied vegetation — conifers, palms, poplars, and oak trees — the house asserts itself within the garden rather than attempting to blend into it, defending its own identity through the raw force of concrete while observing the landscape through expansive openings that draw the outdoors into the interior experience. Across 650 square meters, monumental staircases, elevated walkways, and design icons — including Mario Bellini’s Chiara lamp, the chaise longue by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand, and Gae Aulenti’s Pipistrello lamp — shape interiors where void prevails over mass. Spread across three levels, the spaces unfold in a fluid sequence of informal living areas that extend beyond the glass perimeter into outdoor conversation and dining zones, where a system of terraces creates what feels like a concrete garden.

The interior choices also reflect the work of designer Giada Nava, who in recent years oversaw the restoration of the villa Castiglioni originally designed for his own family. Her intervention was carried out with restraint and sensitivity, aiming to preserve rather than transform. In addition to its living areas, the residence includes four bedrooms and eight bathrooms. The lower ground floor features a billiard room, gym, and heated swimming pool. The estate also includes a 70-square-meter caretaker’s house.

Now listed with Sotheby’s International Realty, the villa represents a key work for understanding the architecture and vision of Francesco Castiglioni — an architect still relatively overlooked despite his significant contribution to Lombardy’s architectural heritage, particularly in the Como area where he was born. Villa Nava clearly expresses his language: its brutalist character decisively interrupts the sequence of Liberty villas that define this neighborhood, and it is precisely in that contrast that the strength of its architecture emerges.