When Cinema Becomes Life

Annicco is a tiny town in Lombardy, Italy, just 60 kilometres southeast of Milan – the global capital of design, fashion, and playful southern elegance. It is there that photographer Attilio Solzi and his wife Paola discovered their ideal home – a former industrial building which was once a textile mill and later a small cinema. No tickets are needed today to explore this domain of Italian extravagance, born out of a love for combining the uncommon. Enjoy the show!

White walls provide a striking contrast to the colourful artworks and accessories. The orange sofa is one of the owners’ favourite pieces, having once belonged to a family friend. Attilio and Paola had it restored and reupholstered and made it a main feature in the room.

A few years ago, Attilio and Paola Solzi were looking for a new homecum-studio, preferably in an unconventional space. At last they stumbled upon a former 19 th -century textile mill in a small town near Milan that had been used as a cinema after World War II. After exploring all of its nooks and crannies, their initial thought was that rather than revamping it, the space would be better left as is. Despite having stood empty for decades, it was in relatively good shape and was still furnished with everything a cinema might need: a projection screen, rows of seats, signage, and posters advertising the latest films.

For the people of Annicco, the cinema once served as an important cultural venue. Over the nearly five years that it took to restore the building, Attilio and Paola had frequent visitors. Neighbours would come to peek through the century-old factory windows to see what was being done with the place. The Solzis decided to preserve the building’s foundations, columns, balustrades, and some of the windows, and to carefully restore and refurbish the rest. The boiler room was converted into a kitchen, its red-painted walls radiating energy. The doors were removed from the former toilet cubicles and became a bathroom. A major challenge was rebuilding the auditorium to create an open space surrounded by tall bookcases that could also include a tiny bedroom. Skylights were installed on the roof, and the ceiling in the former projection room was removed and turned into a terrace covered in plants. Windows separate the main living area from the greenery outside, allowing natural light to enter and enabling people to see the projection screen from outdoors at night.

The entire house is furnished with an eclectic mix of decorative objects – some by renowned artists, some by Attilio, and others purchased from antique shops or flea markets. A Nesso lamp by Artemide brightens up the green corner. The ball on the floor is by American artist Ryan Joseph McGinness.

The mobile candlestick is Attilio Solzi’s own creation. Every few months, Attilio swaps the accessories and artwork, continuously transforming the space in order to make sure it never gets boring.

Figures and toys by Frank Kozik, Stüssy Japan, and Dehara adorn the antique bureau. One of the compartments features some of Attilio’s risqué collages printed on iconic red cigarette boxes.

The owners have preserved some of the former cinema furnishings, such as the tip-up chair leaning against the lime-coloured wall that’s covered in Attilio’s own paintings and collages. Each original artefact has a special meaning for the artist.

Once the renovations were finished, Paola and Attilio invited all the townspeople to a grand opening. Visitors regaled the new owners with stories of their romantic post-war dates at Cinema Flora, as the place is still known.