Giovan Battista Bossi (Novara, 5 Maggio
1864 – Milano 26 Luglio 1924)
Architect, designer of important Art
Nouveau buildings in Milan.
Son of Francesco Bossi and Teresa Arena ,
was directed to study engineering by his father enrolled him at
the Technical University of Pavia. However, he felt more
attracted to painting and after a year he enrolled at the 'Academy
of Brera where he studied under the painter Eugene Grignous.
In 1888 he married Ida Gadda, daughter of
the contractor Gadda Peter, who played for much of his work as
an architect (Gadda home, house Bossi, Newsstand Gadda). He left
the academy and enrolled in a special school of architecture in
1889 where he won a prize with a bronze medal in the third grade
of school of architecture and an honorable mention to the school
perspective.
In 1894 obtained the title of professor of
architectural design.
In 1900 he was elected honorary member of
the Brera Academy and later was also part of the Archaeological
Council.
He worked until 1904 in Via
Fatebenefratelli 21 in Milan, later moved to Piazza Oberdan 4,
to better monitor the work of Casa Alessio and Casa Bossi in
Monforte district.
In 1905 he was part of the editorial of Italian architecture and the Board
of Examiners of the Faculty of Architecture of the Politecnico
di Milano, together with the architect Giuseppe Sommaruga,
Moretti, Ulisse Stacchini , in 1910 he was appointed Knight of
the 'Order of the Crown of' Italy. In 1906 he participated at
the 'International Exhibition of the Sempione for which he
designed Hall of Peace in classical style. His production slowed
down, and then ended because of World War I, his last work was
in fact the design of the house of the Conti brothers in Corso
Magenta 84 in Milan, completed in 1913.
He died in 1924 at the age of sixty.
According to C. Guenzi "compared to the
production of Moretti, Sommaruga, more monumental and striking,
that one of Bossi is actually much more significant, from the
typological point of view, research from penetrating beyond the
walls: plants of the dwelling houses of GB Bossi are expertly
designed with economy of space, the ventilation solutions,
lighting, technical rooms and stairwells are so ingenious as to
place his work at a level quite different from most of his
contemporaries. "
(From Wikipedia)
Works:
Casa Guazzoni (Milan),
Casa
Galimberti (Milan)