By Marina Correa
Photography:
Andrea Martiradonna; courtesy the architects
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Considered ahead of its time even in the 1960s,
when it was first built, the Palazzo Campari building, Milan is today
a refurbished modern wrap, delineating its advanced features as obsolete…
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Characterized by the burnished colour of the façade’s
structural metal; by the curtain walls’ tinted glass and by the metallic-brown
painted panels, Palazzo Campari (now La Serenissima) was considered experimental,
when designer duo Ermenegildo and Eugenio Soncini first designed this landmark on the corner of via Turati and via Cavalieri in the historic centre
of Milan.
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Desirable of retaining the essence of this symbolic
structure, the new owners Morgan Stanley commissioned architect firm Park Associati
to refurbish it, with due preservation of its historic character. They also
wanted to turn an inefficient building (in terms of power consumption) into an
efficient one and provide a modern make-over to attract tenants.
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According to the original layout, flexibility in
the division of internal spaces with a sense of uniformity to internal
lighting, improved access, elevations and circulation were envisaged.
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Other distinct features like reclaiming space on
the ground floor opened up the areas, while pulling back elevations made it
possible to eliminate cold bridging. This, along with other energy-conserving
measures got the building a Gold LEED certification. Useful floor area was relocated,
allowing new spaces to be built and given away for tertiary use. Meanwhile, the
landscaped courtyard, which forms the heart of the complex, has been
reinterpreted in a contemporary setting.
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On via Turati, perforated night lanterns provide
great depth to the new façade. On via Cavalieri, La Serenissima’s original
lower front (with a predominant use of grey for the glazed surfaces) is in
direct dialogue with nearby building Cà Brutta and reflects its historic
surroundings.
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