"One of my behind-the-scenes bucket list items here has been to visit a hospitality house (government name: National Olympic Committee House). Basically, various countries rent out cool venues in Milan from historic halls to popular pubs to use as home bases for fans and events, some private and some open to the public by reservation. I hadn't heard of this tradition until I got here, by which point everything was pretty booked up."
"The Korea House is operating out of Villa Necchi, a beautiful 1930s villa-turned-museum that boasts lush grounds, marble bathrooms, an art collection featuring works by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse (displayed in one of those climate-controlled bathrooms) and Milan's first private swimming pool. It was featured prominently in Luca Guadagnino's 2009 film I am Love, and less prominently in 2021's House of Gucci. But I didn't know all of that when I arrived."
"As people filed in, they made their way to an airy, greenhouse-like structure (formerly a tennis court) with a bunch of vendor tables (Korean ramen, beauty products, fragrances) and a big stage, offset by Italian and South Korean flags. There was also a downstairs area where people could try on the Team Korea uniforms, play games and pose for photos."
Korea House operated from Villa Necchi, a 1930s villa-turned-museum with lush grounds, marble bathrooms, artworks by Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, and Milan's first private swimming pool. The venue hosted Lunar New Year (Seollal) celebrations during the Winter Olympics and drew a long line before the scheduled start. An airy, greenhouse-like former tennis court held vendor tables with Korean ramen, beauty products and fragrances, plus a stage with Italian and South Korean flags. A downstairs area invited visitors to try on Team Korea uniforms, play games and pose for photos. Performances included pansori, a romantic folk song that became "Volare," and a K-pop trio dancing to "Golden."
Read at www.npr.org
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