ME MILAN IL DUCA

MILAN, ITALY
There is a strong sense of connection in the interior design of this hotel in piazza Duca d’Aosta designed by Aldo Rossi, since the Arassociati architects collaborated with Rossi during the 1980s. There is a direct comparison with the Rossi concept in this project, and one where the exclusive Arassociati style is evident, intensified in this illustration of sophisticated Milanese design.
After its construction, in a certain way, the hotel remained incomplete as the internal decor was furnished in standard hotel style, in strong contrast with the building’s architectural concept. Arassociati’s project has given the hotel a distinctive character, exclusive, but coherent with Rossi’s design, focused on a new distribution of the internal layout and the rooftop, where a new sky garden was created. The redesigning of the internal space has included certain iconic elements such as the elliptical staircase that connects the lobby with the upper floors, and the tall slatted wood elements, in elegant classical order, that line the route from the entrance to the reception.
The hotel’s radical new layout focusses strongly on bespoke furnishings combined with famous examples of iconic Italian design. Each floor is individually furnished in the style inspired by a famous Italian designer. This project was an opportunity for Arassociati to face a challenge concerning its affinity with the design influenced by the history of the hotel; it was planned like a skilfully curated exhibition based on research and reflection. In fact, like a museum layout, each floor offers a selection of classic design products, underscoring the vitality and innovative qualities of the Modernist style, in harmony with a tradition that is a constant aspect of Arassociati design.
The refined quality of the materials, finishes and colour palettes are consistent with the 20th-century Milanese style, creating an overall effect with a clever balance of contemporary design and classical style: Venetian marmorino finish walls, cream and red terrazzo flooring, and bespoke furnishings by Molteni in natural shades ranging from cream to brown.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2013-2015
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: Restructuring, extension and interior design
CLIENT: Reale Compagnia Italiana S.p.A.
INTERIOR DESIGN WITH: Nicola Gallizia
LANDSCAPE: Studio AG&P Milano
COLLABORATORS: Giulia Zambon, Gabriella Cricrì

STARHOTELS ROSA GRAND

MILAN, ITALY
Piazza Fontana is strongly linked with the history of Milan and its various transformations over time; (for this reason, in the words of the architects, “the quintessential nature of Milan is represented by its architectural fabric”). The Starhotels Rosa Grand project by Arassociati has become an element of urban “mending and restitching” that has enabled Piazza Fontana to regain its intrinsic identity and continuity. This consistency was created through the facade’s plain but elegant external elements; the bronze finished window frames are surrounded by terracotta facings that separate each pair of openings.
Another aspect, typical of the piazza, is the granite portico, consistent with the continuous covered colonnades of the adjacent buildings. The hotel was one of the first projects executed by Arassociati, and the building summarises the calm dignified decorum that embodies the elegant simplicity coherent with the linguistic characteristics of the Modernist tradition. Avoiding the tenets of contrast and stylization, the architects prefer to adopt continuity in form and materials, coherent with the memory of place.
Similarly, in the interior, the central element composed of a roofed courtyard acts as “a welcoming connection between public and private spaces recalling the traditional Milanese, and more generally, Italian private courtyards that were accessible to the public during the Renaissance”. This space is designed as a hub for social, cultural, and congressional activities. It is open to the public and conceived as an extension of the urban space, almost like a pedestrian walkway, created to offer and envisage different options in contrast to the exclusively commercial nature of the retail area of Corso Vittorio Emanuele.
The hotel intervention was completed with the recent creation of Piazzetta Pattari. The project involved the redevelopment of a Rationalist building, maintaining the homogeneous style of its materials while adding a new light steel construction on the fifth floor. This recessed addition is composed of continuous glass walls to provide views of Milan Cathedral. It includes a new access to the sixth floor with an independent architecturally designed staircase.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2000-2009
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: New construction, extension and interior design
CLIENT: Starhotels S.p.A.
INTERIOR DESIGN: Nicola Gallizia
COLLABORATORS: Giovannino Casu, Chiara Mangiarotti

MAMbo

MILAN, ITALY
The MAMbo (Museum of Modern Art) in Bologna is the result of the conversion of the premises of the former Forno del Pane (bakery), carried out as part of the redevelopment of an industrial complex with the disused Manifattura Tabacchi (tobacco factory) and the former Macello (slaughterhouse). The MAMbo is now an outstanding part of a series of institutions devoted to research and innovation, together with the DAMS (Drama, Arts and Music Studies).
The functional reorganization of the interiors, covering some 9000 square meters, was achieved through the demolition of accretions over the years and the rational use of the spaces of the exhibition circuit. In particular, the great central salon on the ground floor was devoted to temporary exhibitions. The newly built walls, inserted as free and independent stone volumes within the building, have a twofold role, both architectural and semantic.
They are conceived as autonomous architectures, which on the one hand bring out new typological relations and on the other serve to reveal the analogical reconstruction of the former Forno del Pane, which is also represented by the recovery of the old façades found in the foyer and the upper gallery.
An irregularly shaped sculptural volume in Orosei marble, on which the new staircase develops, with an independent course, leads to the first floor. This level contains the spaces of the permanent exhibitions. The principal feature of the two exhibition floors is a large central hall rising to triple height, corresponding to the ancient hall of the ovens, in which the volumes of the two chimneys rise freely, almost as abstract elements that act as a counterpoint to the structural rationality of the steel ribs supporting the roof, which are useful for exhibition installations.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2000-2007
LOCATION: Bologna
TYPOLOGY: Museum of Modern Art – Renovation of the former bakery and museum interior design
CLIENT: City of Bologna and Finanziaria Bologna Metropolitana S.p.A.
COLLABORATORS: Sara Biffi, Mattia Guido Ghezzi, Elisa Franchi, Chiara Mangiarotti

AZERBAIJAN PAVILION EXPO 2015

MILAN, ITALY
The construction of the pavilion was the result of careful reflection on the themes of sustainability and the re-use of temporary structures. The pavilion was designed to be dismantled; thanks to its mortarless, almost totally dry assembly, the 2015 Milan Expo Pavilion focussed on flexibility as the main core of the project, in both its formal aspect as well as the spatial distribution that provides for different functional layouts after its relocation to another site. The structure is arranged on three levels, the first two being dedicated to the exhibition’s main themes relating to Azerbaijan’s culture and bio-climates. The third floor contains a terrace restaurant.
The concept of flexibility is linked with the variety in the project design that inspired the three large glass biospheres encased in the different levels, symbolizing the extremely rich culture and biodiversity of the country. The first biosphere features the variety in the landscape, the second the country’s biodiversity, and the third, the cultural heritage and innovation being promoted to benefit new generations.
The pavilion is built with traditional Azerbaijan materials, like wood and glass, created with innovative techniques and combined with glass and metal. The entire project is based on eco-sustainable concepts, using construction technology and low energy consumption materials, all able to be recycled. Another aspect with great impact is the outer shell composed of curved wooden slats in an undulating pattern surrounding three sides of the structure, leaving the north side open.
As well as an allusion to the wind that is a strong element in Azerbaijan, the movement also refers to the cultures of the many peoples who have always crossed this land, a crossroad in the region. The shell’s wooden slats are applied in different patterns on each facade, providing energy exchange between the exterior and interior for passive microclimatic control, and creating an effect of transparency and light that penetrates the whole pavilion.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2014-2015
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: Exhibition pavilion
CLIENT: Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan
WITH: Simmetrico Network
LANDSCAPE: Studio AG&P Milano
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Daniele Zambelli
COLLABORATORS: Giulia Zambon, Maurizio Fagiuoli

HOTEL VIU MILAN

MILAN, ITALY
Hotel VIU Milan is located in the Porta Volta quarter, which has undergone a vast transformation thanks to recent extensive redevelopment. It is a new building that occupies an entire block; the southern facade with the main entrance is on Via Fioravanti; to the east is Via Bramante and the northern facade faces the piazza in front of the Milan Monumental Cemetery. The hotel rises eight floors above ground with 124 bedrooms and suites. It has become a reference point in a culturally significant area that houses recently completed projects like the Feltrinelli Foundation and the ADI Design Museum.
This building is a singular project with great impact ― the new piazza in front of the Monumental Cemetery, the interior design and the rooftop construction are accentuated by the coherent use of different materials, carefully orchestrated to create a harmonious blend of materials, finishes and colour palette.
Another unusual aspect is the building design; the two side facades are completely covered with vertical gardens, almost forming a landmark to indicate the access to Via Bramante and Via Niccolini. The facade with the main entrance on Via Fioravanti features a regular pattern composed of slatted wooden elements, while light rooftop structures crown the top floor.
The facade overlooking the Monumental Cemetery Piazza has a contrasting design with projecting and recessed elements along the glass wall windows coated with a special bronze finish. While the external facades focus on different materials and the various burnished shades of steel, glass and slatted wood, the interior design is based on continuity, a balance achieved with a palette of soft neutral tones and quality materials like the Rubelli fabrics, stained oak flooring, and the bespoke furnishings created by Molteni ― all of which combine to convey an atmosphere of elegant Milanese design. The top floor houses a panoramic terrace, a swimming pool and roof bar with splendid views of the city.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2014-2017
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: New construction and interior design
CLIENT: Immobiliare Porta Volta S.r.l. – Viscardi Hotels S.p.A.
INTERIOR DESIGN WITH: Nicola Gallizia
LANDSCAPE: Studio AG&P Milano
COLLABORATORS: Francesca Romanò

VARESE 10

MILAN, ITALY
The new street-front facade is integrated to align with the adjacent buildings, while the internal development in the original courtyard has been redesigned with spacious, shrub planted terraces in harmony with the surrounding landscaped garden.
The ground floor apartments have private gardens, while the top floor residences have private terraces, swimming pools and planted greenery, creating an exclusive, calm atmosphere. The private, almost secret gardens, hidden in the middle of a busy city, recall the inner courtyards of aristocratic Milanese residences, and in this case, in keeping with the luxury standards of the complex, enhanced with a design based on transparency and the elimination of barriers between outdoors and indoors.
This is a new concept of luxury urban living that includes communal services like a gym, indoor pool, and relaxation area for the exclusive use of the residents. The almost intimate atmosphere of the internal courtyard garden is in strong contrast with the strict precision of the street-front facade, which however, still reflects the basic principles of early 20th-century Milanese architecture, especially the elegant vertical elements that give the facade a classical effect.
Refined quality materials are used on the facade and in the vast entrance lobby in coherence with the residence’s general sense of sophisticated exclusivity.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2017-in progress
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: Residential complex
CLIENT: V1O S.r.l. – Federico Consolandi
LANDSCAPE: Studio AG&P Milano
COLLABORATORS: Elena Codazzi, Giulia Zambon

SEI VIA MANTEGNA

MILAN, ITALY
The project in Via Mantegna involved the conversion of an industrial building into a residential complex. The edifice, composed of two buildings, dates back to the early 20th century and housed a printing factory and office spaces. The first building on Via Mantegna is Art Nouveau style and has maintained its use in the services sector, while the second, more industrial building, is located in a perpendicular position, set along the length of the site.
The project focussed on a restoration plan that respected the existing buildings, continuity with the surrounding context, and the use of original materials, especially on the streetfront facade decorated with concrete ornamentation typical of Art Nouveau architecture.
A more radical intervention was carried out on the long building in the courtyard, where the regular division of the window openings was transformed to create a more residential style, with the inclusion of terraces and decorative metal railings that echo the style of the private gardens on the ground floor.
Another transformation, with just as much impact, is the landscaping, very closely integrated with the architecture, typical of Arassociati design. Thanks to an intervention to lower the foundations, it was possible to incorporate two new floors in the increased internal height. This provided a range of different solutions coherent with modern residential standards. Both buildings have been decorated with cohesive materials for continuity, and the communal spaces feature colours and furnishings with a Modernist flavour that reflect the refined quality of Milanese residential buildings.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2015-2019
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: Residential complex
CLIENT: Sei Via Mantegna S.r.l.
LANDSCAPE: Studio AG&P Milano
COLLABORATORS: Giulia Zambon, Giuseppe Biscottini

CIARDI 9

MILAN, ITALY

This project is constructed on the grounds of a former services building in the residential district of San Siro. It is an apartment complex composed of two seven storey blocks, connected by a lower two storey building. The ground floor and mezzanine house the entry lobby and communal services, while the first floor is occupied by apartments and terraces. The entrance atrium has a connecting staircase to bridge the difference in height with the basement level roofed with planted gardens.

The basement and first two floors are in alignment with adjacent street-front facades, but the upper floors are less regular, with different facades featuring loggias, balconies and bow-windows. To create a link with the landscaped garden, the balconies and terraces are planted with greenery as an integrated part of the architecture.

This is an aspect frequently adopted by the architects, and the horizontal planting accentuates the string-course lines to give a sense of continuity.

The clean design of the facades is easily seen in the triple composition: the two storey base is clad in grey stone, while the upper floors have a terracotta plaster finish. The top floor is lightened with a large pergola-like structure on metal columns that create a link with other metal elements like the string-courses, window frames, and terrace railings

TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS

YEAR: 2018-in progress
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: Residential complex
CLIENT: Ciardi Sviluppo S.r.l.
WITH: Studio Banfi e Pezzetta
COLLABORATORS: Paolo De Biase, Annachiara Cattaneo

GARIBALDI 123

MILAN, ITALY
This project involved the conversion of an old guest house into an apartment building in Corso Garibaldi. Directly opposite the building is the superb 15th century Church of Santa Maria Incoronata, part of Milan’s historical heritage which the architects had to consider when designing the facade.
The new facade on Corso Garibaldi has a classical modern style with large loggia balconies and full height glass curtain walls. The building is divided into three sections: the glazed fronted ground floor, the middle floors in cream coloured stone, and the two top floors with a bronzed metal finish. There is also an attic floor with pergola and roof garden. The facade string courses are in cream Montorfano stone, in contrast with the spacious terraces, window and door frames in bronzed metal that create a chiaroscuro effect.
The project has maintained a refined coherence with its surroundings, keeping in mind the different alignments of the adjacent buildings. It was decided to create a different design for the ground floor compared to the upper floors. It maintains the previous street level and is aligned with the adjacent building on the southern side, while the upper floors follow the alignment of the building on the northern side.
The internal facade features the same spacious terraces, with greenery planters to create a subtle harmony with the landscaped garden. Inside the building, the entrance hall recalls the Modernist style of elegant 20th-century Milanese apartment buildings; the discretely elegant boiseries are given a contemporary touch combined with burnished metal. The refined entrance has been carefully designed to provide a view of the historic church opposite, with the same attention and sensitivity that the architects applied for the project in Santa Maria alla Porta.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2016-2020
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: Residential complex
CLIENT: Federico Consolandi
COLLABORATORS: Simona De Capitani, Giulia Salvioni

ADAMELLO 10

MILAN, ITALY
This project is situated in one of the most dynamic areas of Milan currently undergoing vast transformation including the reconstruction of the former Porta Romana rail-yards; the presence of the Prada Foundation was a driving force behind some of the ambitious redevelopment projects, partly involving new construction, but also the complete renovation of vacated industrial spaces. This residential complex is composed of two separate buildings arranged at right angles to one another. The lower building facade runs along Via Adamello, while the 16 storey tower is positioned behind it in the centre of the site.
The only element that connects the two buildings is a system of atriums and a covered walkway that crosses the site. It gives shelter but is open to provide light from above. Like many other Arassociati projects, such as the residential complex in Via dei Canzi ― special attention is always paid to visual access on the ground floor level closely integrated with the private landscaped gardens. In this project, visibility is achieved through the higher, ground floor level. The large ground-floor entrances in the front facade on Via Adamello are also designed to provide views of the private gardens and create a link with the public green spaces.
ìBalcony planting on the street facade also acts as an architectural element, underlining the horizontal lines of the facade. The landscaping features geometrical planting designed to focus around the tower building. The positioning of the facades is designed to underline the architectural difference between the two structures, creating a certain compositional freedom, while maintaining the continuous alignment with the surrounding context, always a major element applied by the architects.
The unifying aspect of the complex relies on the choice of common materials and elements such as the strongly accented horizontal string courses and the alternating full height panels and windows that create a chiaroscuro effect on the Via Adamello facade. This design was inspired by the tower building in Parco di Vico Magistretti, by Magistretti, and the apartment building in Via Quadronno by Angelo Mangiarotti, which were two of the principle examples of Milanese Rationalist architecture.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2019‐in progress
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: Apartment building
CLIENT: Adamello Real Estate S.r.l.
LANDSCAPE: Studio AG&P Milano
COLLABORATORS: Simona De Capitani, Beatrice Ravicini Bressi

VARESE 19

MILAN, ITALY
The new Corte Varese complex is located in one of Milan’s most vibrant areas which has undergone a vast transformation in recent decades; it lies between the new Garibaldi-Porta Nuova district and the Brera quarter. The project shows Arassociati’s sensitive approach to historical layers within the urban fabric, reflecting the cultural references and techniques frequently used by the architects.
The rational paradigms of 20th-century architecture, skillful use of traditional materials, renewed using contemporary technology and design, plus respect for the surrounding context, all blend to create a modern classic facade with its decorative parapet design and elegant latticed entrance.
Like other Arassociati projects, the contemporary style pays homage to refined traditional Milanese apartment buildings, reflected in the fine quality materials and finishes. Like many Arassociati projects, the classic style and coherence with the surrounding context contrasts with the more contemporary design of the private internal spaces.
The architects often include loggias and greenery planters, creating terraced areas adapted to the shape of the site. Traditional materials are repeated in the courtyard, but the garden design has a distinctly contemporary style. The landscaping is completely integrated with the architecture, giving the sense of a quiet luxurious oasis when passing from the street to the courtyard. Once again, this planting style echoes traditional, even historic, Milanese architecture, revealing lush gardens in hidden private courtyards. As a whole, this complex represents new quality standards for residential buildings in terms of comfort, constructive choices, and communal services like the fitness area, gym and pool for the exclusive use of the residents.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2010-2015
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: Residential complex
CLIENT: Federico Consolandi
LANDSCAPE: Studio AG&P Milano
COLLABORATORS: Pietro Porro, Marco Gualandris, Nicolò Paolino

ARTIST'S HOUSE

MILAN, ITALY
The work is intended in general to return this symbolic building in the Brera district to the state of an architectural image that remains as close as possible to the original while adapting it to contemporary uses within the context of a renewed urban decorum. The building, designed in the early twentieth century to house the studios of the artists who gravitated around Brera, initially had no direct access to the street. It was built on the inside of the block, largely surrounded by orchards and gardens, which ensured quiet and a fully natural setting. This relationship still exists, despite the urban transformation of the context, thanks to the public park now on Via Tommaso da Cazzaniga.
The project involves the restoration of the building and improvements to the system of distribution for the parts essentially visible from the public street. The restoration project includes the recovery of the studios, to be used as workshops and exhibition spaces. Alterations to the distribution system will entail the completion of the staircases and balconies through the construction of a new neutral volume built out of perforated metal panels and glass.
This will match the design but not the proportions of the restored window grid of the existing walkways. This volume rises to the level of the ground floor and is also marked by the new fully glazed main entrance from Via Tommaso da Cazzaniga.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2013-2019
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: Artists’ workplaces building
CLIENT: City of Milano and Porta Tenaglia S.r.l.
WITH: Studio Berlucchi, Aldo Fontana
COLLABORATOR: Giovannino Casu

SANTA MARIA ALLA PORTA 7

MILAN, ITALY
This project was among the first interventions carried out by Arassociati in the historical heart of the city. Although not particular large in size, this residential home at 7, Via Santa Maria alla Porta, epitomises the complexity of its location and its historical links. The difficulties were skilfully resolved by balancing the respect for identity of place and need for a sense of continuity, but able to achieve a project with its own distinctive style, while avoiding any type of solution involving too personal an approach.
The project site, which remained empty following bombing during World War 2, is limited by the rigid conformation of the plot flanked by two buildings, with one facade in Via Santa Maria alla Porta, directly opposite the graceful Baroque church designed by Richini. On the south-west side, recessed aspects and large terraced spaces overlook the archaeological area of Via Gorani and Via Brisa. The refined approach to this context led to addressing the facade on the street in a different manner from that in the passage-courtyard. The first facade, which is on the same level as the adjacent buildings, echoes the style of Milanese Modernism, with the same materials and finishes.
However, the facade of the internal courtyard-passage features a distinctly contemporary style, also echoed in the interior, beginning with the entrance hall composed of a circular atrium with a staircase leading to the upper rooms of the residence. The facade on the pedestrian passageway, connecting Via Santa Maria alla Porta with Via Gorani and Via Brisa, houses the main entrance. It is faced with traditional materials treated with modern technologies such as Corten panels that recall the use of wrought iron, in this case through their decorative pattern.
These decorative elements have been widely and boldly used by the architects in a number of projects, especially balustrades and screening panels. The following intervention at 9 Via Santa Maria alla Porta involves the completion and the final urban scale “binding together” of the large void surrounding the archaeological excavations in Via Brisa. The purpose of the project was focussed on transforming the more internal area of the site, previously perceived as the rear of the building, with its own courtyard and stables that overlooked the archaeological site. This was achieved with a total reorganisation to create a new scenic backdrop for the current Piazza Gorani and the archaeological site in Via Brisa. Once again, green landscaping played an important amalgamating role as an integrated part of the architectural project.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2006-2011
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: Residential complex
CLIENT: Santa Maria S.r.l. – Federico Consolandi
INTERIOR DESIGN: Antonella Tesei
LANDSCAPE: AG&P Milano
COLLABORATOR: Pietro Porro

SANZIO 39

MILAN, ITALY
The intervention at 39 Via Raffaello Sanzio follows a well consolidated practice that Arassociati has applied for many years, demonstrating their expert capacity for designing prestigious projects of a superior level. This project is located in an elegant residential area, in Via Sanzio, built in the early 20th century; the apartment building is integrated in a continuous line with the adjacent buildings through the reconstruction of a low existing edifice, which was heightened with the addition of four new floors.
The style of the facade is typical of the system frequently adopted by Arassociati in numerous projects throughout the city, demonstrating their professional expertise in creating projects perfectly integrated within their context thanks to carefully selected materials and skillful layouts. In this project, the facades are classic in style in a regular vertical arrangement that clearly indicates the various functions of the building.
The ground floor is composed of retail stores with large glass windows and slatted metal screening; a plaster finish, full height windows, and regular balconies identify the new additional floors; the recessed top floor is lightened with a pergola type loggia.
On the street and internal sides, both facades feature homogeneous materials, although the main facade is more uniform, where light coloured stone and plaster finish, burnished window frames and glass create a tone on tone effect. As with their other projects, the use of green planting assumes an architectural role. This is especially apparent in the loggia balconies on the main facade where the adjacent planters filled with greenery create continuous lines across the facade.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2017-2021
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: Complesso residenziale
CLIENT: RS1 S.r.l. – Federico Consolandi
COLLABORATORS: Luca Lazzari

HABITARIA, CORSO GARIBALDI 95

MILAN, ITALY
In the historic Garibaldi quarter, Arassociati carried out an intervention to combine and rehabilitate several buildings from different periods creating a restoration project with strongly contemporary elements, and reinstating a charming area in this zone of Milan. The fragmented post-war urban block was rehabilitated by creating a dialogue between previous existing historic buildings and new structures, aimed at highlighting the sense of continuity in the space.
The project involved a 19th-century building with a streetfront facade, close to Largo La Foppa. The internal part of the site was occupied by 17th-century ecclesiastical buildings, including a series of courtyards incorporating the remains of the monastery of Sant’Anna ai Teatini. The complex within the urban block terminated with a taller, newly constructed, 9 storey building on a pilotis structure. and adjacent to Via di Porta Tenaglia. The restoration of the building in Corso Garibaldi mainly focussed on maintaining the 19th-century style of the facade, while work was carried out on the facade on the corner of Largo La Foppa, that had remained a blind wall following the recessing of the adjacent building in the 1960s. The project opted for new openings, partially screened by vertical stone elements that restore a solid effect to the facade.
One of the elements that makes a major contribution to the project’s continuity is the creation of a public pedestrian walkway that leads through the various courtyards to connect the garden in Via Tommaso da Cazzaniga with Corso Garibaldi and Via di Porta Tenaglia. This public space is extended even further by the area beneath the new tall building, where the pilotis structure creates a covered piazza. This route through the communicating courtyards from Corso Garibaldi, provides a historic reading of the area, as many remaining fragments have been incorporated into the project. These range from remains of the 16th-century cloister through to a traditional Milanese row house. In this context the newly built tower, completely hidden from the street, represents a surprising element, revealed through the gardens where the greenery creates a connecting effect.
This new building has a distinctly contemporary aspect and features continuous balconies with linear metal planters. The adjacent Casa degli Artisti, that overlooks Via Tommaso da Cazzaniga and bears witness to the important patronage of the arts that flourished in Milan between the 19th and 20th centuries. Built around 1910 and abandoned after having famously housed the Scapigliatura School and other avant-garde movements, its restoration within the wider project described above, represents an important restitution for the quarter and for the city in general. The complex is arranged in a main structure on three floors, taking advantage of the northern exposure for maximum diffusion of natural light. There is also a lower two storey pergola structure closely connected with the adjacent park. The restoration project involved the restoration of a number of rooms; the upper floors are assigned as workshops, and the lower spaces reserved for exhibitions. The demolition of all superfluous additions, like the enclosing wall along Via Tommaso da Gazzaniga, provided the possibility of a new entrance. The new structures containing the staircases and walkway, have been built in a neutral style using perforated metal sheeting. The overall restoration intervention has enabled the complex to regain its former dignity while respecting its original character.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2012-2020
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: Residential complex
CLIENT: Garibaldi 95 S.r.l.
LANDSCAPE: Studio AG&P Milano
COLLABORATORS: Aldo Fontana, Francesca Romanò, Giulia Salvioni

SANZIO 15

MILAN, ITALY
The intervention at 39 Via Raffaello Sanzio follows a well consolidated practice that Arassociati has applied for many years, demonstrating their expert capacity for designing prestigious projects of a superior level. This project is located in an elegant residential area, in Via Sanzio, built in the early 20th century; the apartment building is integrated in a continuous line with the adjacent buildings through the reconstruction of a low existing edifice, which was heightened with the addition of four new floors.
ìThe style of the facade is typical of the system frequently adopted by Arassociati in numerous projects throughout the city, demonstrating their professional expertise in creating projects perfectly integrated within their context thanks to carefully selected materials and skiLlful layouts. In this project, the facades are classic in style in a regular vertical arrangement that clearly indicates the various functions of the building.
The ground floor is composed of retail stores with large glass windows and slatted metal screening; a plaster finish, full height windows, and regular balconies identify the new additional floors; the recessed top floor is lightened with a pergola type loggia.
On the street and internal sides, both facades feature homogeneous materials, although the main facade is more uniform, where light coloured stone and plaster finish, burnished window frames and glass create a tone on tone effect. As with their other projects, the use of green planting assumes an architectural role. This is especially apparent in the loggia balconies on the main facade where the adjacent planters filled with greenery create continuous lines across the facade.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2017-2021
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: Residential complex
CLIENT: RS1 S.r.l. – Federico Consolandi
COLLABORATOR: Luca Lazzari

BOSCONAVIGLI

MILAN, ITALY
Inspired by an idea by Stefano Boeri and with a landscape design by AG&P greenscape, the project by Stefano Boeri Architetti and Arassociati is located in an ex-industrial area overlooking via San Cristoforo and the future railway line park due to the closure of the railway system. The line park will link Porta Genova with the Naviglio Grande canal. This zone is undergoing vast transformation, and is conveniently connected to the Zona Tortona Design District.
The area includes historical and environmental heritage sites needing urgent protection; the Naviglio Grande canals and the ancient church of San Cristoforo, the cascina Campagnola farmhouse and the Canottieri San Cristoforo canoe club headquarters. Unlike many of the projects featured in this book, this intervention is located outside the historical city centre, and has therefore provided the architects with the opportunity to express its ideas in a context free of many of the usual restrictions, to focus completely on contemporary perspectives. The building is situated in an open environment surrounded by green woodland and the project will be strongly focussed on energy efficiency.
In this context, it will also play a crucial role in connecting the densely constructed urban fabric with an open, irregular space where trees and landscaping form the unifying element. The residential project is composed of apartment buildings around a central courtyard to guarantee necessary privacy and seclusion, while maintaining a close connection with the surrounding context. This explains the difference in facade design on the sides facing in towards the courtyard or out towards the urban space. The internal facades are composed of recessed loggias, while the external facades feature an irregular arrangement of densely planted balconies, including tall trees that act as an acoustic barrier and help abate atmospheric pollution.
The architectural design is based on a rising spiral, where the facades overlooking Via San Cristoforo and the future railway line park gradually curve inwards to form the internal courtyard, taking advantage of the progressive variation in height to create a descending series of planted terraces in close harmony with the surrounding landscape. This system is the result of innovative research for environmental protection and sustainability, as an answer to “post pandemic” living requirements because of the need for open spaces and accessible green areas. From an environmental viewpoint, the incorporated solutions provide pollution abatement, and solar panels have been integrated into the entrance roofing. The entrance is double height and partly enclosed to house the guardian’s quarters. It defines and determines the form of the internal courtyard. The vast woodland project surrounding the building makes a strong contribution to the local urban redevelopment scheme; other projects associated with the tree planting interventions include new garden landscaping in Piazzale delle Milizie, and the transformation of the former municipal recycling centre into a green space. Special attention was paid to the presence of a large solitary elm tree which has become the focal centre for the redevelopment of Via San Cristoforo.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2020‐in progress
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: Apartment building
CLIENT: Milano 5.0 S.r.l.

Inspired by an idea by Stefano Boeri
WITH: Stefano Boeri Architetti, Stefano Boeri Interiors
LANDSCAPE: Studio AG&P Milano
COLLABORATORS: Giulia Zambon, Francesca da Pozzo, Marco Vallario
RENDER: Level Creative Studio, Echoo Studio

COMPAGNONI 12

MILAN, ITALY
This residential complex, in Via Compagnoni, is the expression of Arassociati’s well consolidated design and organizational expertise. This project is a prime example of the architects’ professional capacity, constantly producing projects of superb quality, for both living standards and the elegant architectural design. This complex is based on the Middle-European Höfe, composed of connecting courtyards, transformed into green spaces, the contemporary equivalent of the hortus conclusus or enclosed garden.
The project is based on a well-proven system, where the front of the building completes the street facades in Via Compagnoni, while the complex is developed along the entire length of the internal site. It is composed of three buildings separated by courtyards and gardens where the greenery plays a connecting role, with walkways leading to the various buildings.
The street-front facade respects the alignment with the adjacent buildings for consistency, even maintaining the same roof pitch. In contrast, the internal buildings are designed to be strongly connected with the outdoors, with loggias, terraces, balconies and private gardens, creating a variety of green spaces together with the tree-lined courtyards and landscaped gardens.
The communal areas in the complex feature a sober elegant design, consistent with a residential complex of this quality, ensuring exclusive privacy. This begins with the vast entrance lobby accessed from Via Compagnoni, and continues through to the luxurious wellness area with its patio-solarium, excavated in the first courtyard, surrounded by the fitness gym, and swimming pool, connected to the patio through large sliding windows.
TECHNICAL DRAWINGS
CREDITS
YEAR: 2017-in progress
LOCATION: Milan
TYPOLOGY: Residential complex
CLIENT: Compagnoni 12 Real Estate S.r.l. – Federico Consolandi
LANDSCAPE: Studio AG&P Milano
COLLABORATORS: Andrea Piatti, Marco Gualandris