Renaissance by birth and raised in Tuscany, with a passion for the artist Piero della Francesca and history, Patrizia Tenti has always believed that a home should be much more than just a physical space: it should represent the soul, the values, and the lifestyle of the people that live inside. Patrizia Tenti, founder and director of ERASTUDIO, is an Italian architect who grew up steeped in the culture and mentality of a Tuscany region in which the antique mentality of undivided art and architecture persisted through the talents of great historical minds like Giorgio Vasari, Piero della Francesca and Francesco Petrarca, and many other artists. Now based in Milan, Patrizia continues to apply this vision on an international scale. By inhabiting such a storied space, ERASTUDIO embraces a legacy of artistic excellence, continuing to foster a dialogue between past and present—where architecture and design remain vital, evolving, and profoundly lived experiences.
Patrizia Tenti has developed extensive expertise in designing architectural experiences for luxury retail and high-end residential interiors across the globe and for the most important fashion designer, with projects completed in the United States, Japan, Russia, Ukraine, France, Switzerland, and beyond. Throughout her career, she has had the opportunity to collaborate for many hyear like interior architect with prestigious fashion houses including Prada, Helmut Lang, Ermanno Scervino, and Neil Barrett and many others.
Her professional development has been significantly influenced by long-standing collaborations with internationally renowned Pritzker Prize-winning architects such as Oscar Niemeyer, Paulo Mendes da Rocha, Rem Koolhaas, Zaha Hadid, and Mario Bellini.
A lifelong passion for contemporary art—deepened by her PhD research and a pivotal encounter with Germano Celant during her time with Prada—continues to inform and inspire her design process, allowing her to integrate visual culture seamlessly into architectural practice.
In 2010, she founded ERASTUDIO Apartment-Gallery in Milan, Italy, a space dedicated to collectible design. The gallery embodies her holistic approach to art, which spans fine art, architecture, and design—objects that are both aesthetically compelling and functionally relevant. Her mission has always been to promote a lifestyle in which art and everyday life merge, and where history becomes both a narrative and a foundation for design.
ERASTUDIO Apartment-gallery on the third floor of a late 19th-century building in Milan’s Brera district was different than the other galleries and conceived as an alternative space. Patrizia transformed a rugged, undefined apartment into a living context for radical design—a place where design could be experienced, not just observed. Her education in architecture in Florence was shaped by professors who were part of the Radical Architecture movement, and she was immediately drawn to its anti-functionalist manifesto.
Originally known as ERASTUDIO Apartment-Gallery and now as ERASTUDIO Gallery, the space became internationally recognized for its curatorial focus on Radical Architecture—a historical movement coined by critic Germano Celant in 1972, which blurred the lines between architecture and art in the 1960s and ’70s. Through exhibitions featuring figures like Gianni Pettena, Ettore Sottsass, Ugo La Pietra, and Remo Buti, ERASTUDIO solidified its reputation as a pioneer in collectible design.
Over the years, the gallery held a prominent position in leading international fairs such as Design Miami/Basel, Zona Maco, Miart, Artgenève, and Dubai Design Week. Architect and artist Nanda Vigo was the exclusive curator for most of 8 years for many of these exhibitions and fairs, bringing bold and immersive narratives to the gallery’s presentations. This visibility resulted in many of the showcased artists’ permeating collections of important international museums and public institutions.
ERASTUDIO is located in the historic palazzo at Via Gioacchino Rossini 3, in Milan’s Quadrilatero del Silenzio—a secluded and architecturally rich enclave nestled between Via Serbelloni, Via Mozart, Via Cappuccini, and Via Vivaio.
The palazzo was designed by architects Innocenzo Odescalchi and Pietro Ortelli and constructed between 1871 and 1887. Often referred to as the “house of artists,” the palazzo has long served as a sanctuary for creative minds. Over the decades, it has been home to patrons and ateliers of painters and sculptors such as Medardo Rosso, and architects including Marcello Nizzoli and Alessandro Mendini. The famous Greek art collector and gallerist Alexander Iolas, discoverer of the Surrealists, also opened a gallery here.
Surrounded by the architectural spirit of the 1930s, this unique area is a perfect meeting point for art and architecture. Iconic landmarks such as Adolfo Wildt’s marble ear at Via Serbelloni, the pink flamingos of Villa Invernizzi, and—most notably for ERASTUDIO—the prestigious Villa Necchi Campiglio, define the atmosphere of this elegant Milanese neighborhood.
Photo Credit: Nano Press Milano
