Constructed between 1931 and 1933 and designed by Giovanni Muzio, the building was intended to function as a permanent venue for the International Decorative Arts Exhibition, which from 1923 was held at the Villa Reale in Monza. The Palazzo dell'Arte's architect was the first to use cement instead of brick in Milan, creating a long rectangular building that ended in a semicircular apse. Porticoes embellish the entrances on both the sides of viale Alemagna and that of the park. The inauguration of the building marked the opening of the V Triennale in 1933. The architect Giuseppe Pagano further expanded the building to host the following exhibition in 1936. Managed by an autonomous body, the Ente Autonomo Triennale di Milano, the building hosts prominent international exhibitions and cultural initiatives.