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Posted On: October 12th 2026, 08:56 am
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Our collaborative series on Forgotten Architecture continues, this time in collaboration with @herspace_agenda a platform dedicated to promoting women in design and architecture, curated by Mara Bragagnolo @maragold
Ada Bursi was one of Italy’s first women architects. After graduating in 1938, she became the first woman to join the Turin Order of Architects in 1940.
Much of her career was devoted to public projects for the Municipality of Turin, including schools, social housing and urban developments. Alongside this work, she designed residential buildings that reflected her thoughtful approach to materials, interiors and everyday life.
Bursi described this philosophy as “democratic luxury” - an architecture that could be generous and carefully crafted while remaining accessible.
Via Milazzo 5, where Bursi herself lived until the early 1990s, brings this vision to life. Here, luxury lies in the details: delicate red mosaic lines running along the stairwell walls, curved mahogany panels in the entrance, custom-made furnishings and a carefully considered palette of colours. Together, these elements create a distinctive character that feels both expressive and understated.
Today, the building stands as a quiet testament to an architect whose contribution to twentieth-century Italian architecture is only now beginning to receive the recognition it deserves.
Photo credits: Mara Bragagnolo + ASPoliTo - Archivio Storico del Politecnico di Torino (Le Prime exhibition)
Ada Bursi was one of Italy’s first women architects. After graduating in 1938, she became the first woman to join the Turin Order of Architects in 1940.
Much of her career was devoted to public projects for the Municipality of Turin, including schools, social housing and urban developments. Alongside this work, she designed residential buildings that reflected her thoughtful approach to materials, interiors and everyday life.
Bursi described this philosophy as “democratic luxury” - an architecture that could be generous and carefully crafted while remaining accessible.
Via Milazzo 5, where Bursi herself lived until the early 1990s, brings this vision to life. Here, luxury lies in the details: delicate red mosaic lines running along the stairwell walls, curved mahogany panels in the entrance, custom-made furnishings and a carefully considered palette of colours. Together, these elements create a distinctive character that feels both expressive and understated.
Today, the building stands as a quiet testament to an architect whose contribution to twentieth-century Italian architecture is only now beginning to receive the recognition it deserves.
Photo credits: Mara Bragagnolo + ASPoliTo - Archivio Storico del Politecnico di Torino (Le Prime exhibition)
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