• ©DiegoDePol

    ©DiegoDePol

  • ©DiegoDePol

    ©DiegoDePol

  • ©DiegoDePol

    ©DiegoDePol

  • Courtesy of Spaces

    Courtesy of Spaces

  • Courtesy of Spaces

    Courtesy of Spaces

of

Studios, Co-Working Spaces & Home Offices

Italian 50s buildings transformed into office space of tomorrow

The flexible and sustainable complex is the result of Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel’s completed regeneration of two historical buildings in Milan, Italy

by Georgina Johnston 07 September 2020

Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel (ACPV) have unveiled the renovation of San Babila Business Center, of Galleria San Carlo, and of Galleria Passerella 2, in the heart of Milan’s historic centre. Transforming a 21,000 GLA (Gross Leasable Area) block of buildings, designed in the 50s, into a flexible and sustainable space, ACPV's intervention takes a careful approach to the conservation of the buildings' original details, while elevating their character and integrating the architecture in the surrounding urban context.

By meeting the highest international building standards for environmental sustainability and personal wellbeing, the project by ACPV creates a flexible space able to adapt to its users' needs, while preserving the original architectures as designed in the 50s by renowned architects, Gio Ponti, Fornaroli and Soncini brothers.

The mixed use building block for office and retail, has an E-shaped layout and consists of seven floors above ground and five basement floors hosting storage, plant rooms and parking spaces.

Overlooking Corso Vittorio Emanuele Il and Corso Europa, the two main wings of the building benefit from superior visibility. The offices, with cutting edge design and abundant natural light, feature flexible, functional, and stylish spaces. The rooftop of the block on Corso Vittorio Emanuele hosts a 320 sq m terrace with an enviable view over the Duomo cathedral and the city's skyline.

Our design responds to a dual purpose; the creation of a particular design language for a single yet extensive office complex while undertaking an urban regeneration intervention right in the heart of the city's busiest, best known cultural, commercial and tourist destination. We redesigned the buildings' façades, entrances and lobbies, opening them to the city.

A. Citterio, CoFounder, ACPV

By replacing the original windows' frames with new black fixtures, the building's façade overlooking Corso Europa shows a lighter and modern look, while highlighting the supporting structure. The façade of Galleria Passerella 2 now features a continuous glass surface, after the removal of the old façade made of prefabricated concrete.

ACPV also intervened by opening the buildings to the city; the lobbies are wider and more visible from the outside, with the characteristic spiral staircase of Galleria San Carlo that can now be seen from the street, in perfect harmony with the urban landscape. 

We wanted to infuse new life to the buildings, enhancing the original architecture of renowned architects such as Gio Ponti. We had the marbles and original details renewed and we designed new lighting items in order to highlight the historical threshold difference for some elements of the shared spaces, such as the elevators, to make them more accessible and prominent.

M. Brambilla, Partner, Project Director, ACPV

The redesign of the 21,000 GLA block of buildings also involved connecting the layout of Galleria San Carlo and Galleria Passerella 2, creating a continuous space able to allocate up to six tenants on each floor.

The new space design offers a glimpse of the workspace of the future. The space of the offices can be easily changed and adapted to their users' needs, a feature that comes quite handy, considering how work paradigms are changing because of the covid-19 emergency.

P. Viel, Cofounder, ACPV

ACPV designed a false ceiling that allows lights and partition walls to be easily moved, integrated or eliminated, so as to create a reconfigurable space able to quickly switch from open to closed workspaces.

The project by ACPV integrates the highest sustainability and personal well-being standards, which led to energy class A building certification besides the prestigious LEED Gold and Well certifications. 


Want to submit your project to World Architecture News?

Contact The Team