Bricolage City: The Grande Brera as a Paradigm Part 2 Dissertation 2020 Matthew Thompson University of Liverpool | UK "If the concept of the museum therefore implied some sort of ethical ballast, (…) one might postulate a possible solution for the more eminent problems of the contemporary city." Colin Rowe, 1978Since the 16th century, the site of Milan’s Brera museum complex has organically and carefully adapted its surroundings in order to grow as a cultural institution. More recently, acquiring the neighbouring 17th century Palazzo Citterio in 1972, Brera had the intention of converting the institution into a contemporary museum for its expanding art collection. In 1986, Stirling, Wilford and Associates were invited to reorganise and design this complex assemblage of heterogeneous elements onto the site, unifying the museum with modernity - both physically and conceptually, adopting Colin Rowe’s notion of bricolage as a design strategy.The dissertation investigates the Grande Brera project as a case study that reveals new readings into Stirling’s office modus operandi and lucid application of Rowe’s notion of bricolage into their architectural and urban strategy. It proposes the design for Brera as a paradigm for the eminent problems of the contemporary city, calling for its use as a theoretical framework that allows for preservation without stagnation, and growth acknowledging the relevance of the past. Tutor(s) Marco Iuliano