Needle, thread and knot, Modern sculpture in Piazzale Cadorna, Milan, Italy
Needle, Thread and Knot is a steel and reinforced plastic sculpture featuring a large needle with multicolored thread emerging at different points across the square before ending in a knot. The design creates a visual impression of a train entering a tunnel, while the wrapped thread also recalls Milan's historic emblem of a serpent coiling around a sword.
The City of Milan commissioned this artwork during the renovation of Cadorna railway station, with installation completed in February 2000. This timing connected the restored transit hub to the broader urban transformation happening across the city.
The thread colors red, green, and yellow reference the three main lines of the Milan Metro system, linking urban transportation with public art in the city.
The sculpture sits in Piazzale Cadorna near the railway station and is easy to reach on foot from nearby transit connections. You can view the entire work from multiple sides of the square, and different angles offer varying perspectives of the needle and thread composition.
The work operates on two overlapping meanings: it visualizes a train entering a tunnel, yet the wrapped thread also speaks to Milan's medieval identity symbolized by the serpent and sword. This layered interpretation gives the sculpture depth beyond its surface design.
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