A dual-coded refurbishment designed for an early 20th-century apartment in Milan. An apartment located on the third floor of a post-WWI building on Viale Beatrice D’Este in Milan has undergone a meticulous and unconventional refurbishment by DDBA.
The residence, featuring a typically bourgeois layout, is characterized by large French windows overlooking rows of poplars and the vibrant facades of the residential buildings directly opposite—designed by architects Giordano Forti and Camillo Magni.
The project was born from a close collaboration with the clients, a creative couple seeking a Milanese pied-à-terre. Rooted in an analog and reflective approach consisting of conversations, exchanges of opinions, and shared intuitions, the long conceptual process allowed the spirit of the intervention to be defined with precision, steering it toward highly personal and distinctive solutions.
The renovation, begun in 2021 and completed two years later, unfolds through two opposing and complementary architectural codes that coexist seamlessly within the home.
The first code celebrates the building's heritage, preserving the original partitions and enhancing the early 20th-century atmosphere of the bedrooms and living area.
The second code introduces a hyper-contemporary element: an independent functional "box" with a satin-finish metal shell. Inserted in place of the old entrance, it houses the kitchen and utilities.
These two styles—with their differing materials, colors, and lighting—generate a play of counterpoints and dissonances, creating a dynamic, multifaceted environment rich in contrast.
The approximately 80 square meters of the home are distributed among the living room, study, master bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom.
Entrance is gained through a dark, low-vaulted gallery reminiscent of the corridors of Villa Panza di Biumo and the architecture of Piero Portaluppi. The gallery runs alongside the functional kitchen/utility box, leading—via a sharp and surprising change of scene—to the high ceilings and luminous spaces of the living area.
In the living room, a few select pieces of contemporary design (primarily black USM modules in various configurations) coexist with the vintage elegance of the space, emphasized by the herringbone oak flooring and the original fixtures, which have been restored and lacquered in white.
The Klein-blue sofa harmonizes with the electric blue facade of the building across the street, while the stainless steel bookshelves echo the metallic finishes of the kitchen box. The kitchen itself can choose to open its doors, connecting with the rustic dining table, or close itself off with discretion and privacy.
The small study, designed as a multitasking, transformable space, becomes an extra bedroom thanks to the fitted wall behind a dark curtain, which conceals wardrobes and a fold-away bed.
The master bedroom, minimalist in its furnishings, is enriched by a bright orange USM unit and a large canvas by artist Jaime Hayon.
Meticulous attention to detail and personalized elements emerges in every room—even the bathroom, where the wall coverings and terrazzo countertop were custom-made, incorporating fragments of verde alpi marble into a gray base as a tribute to period finishes.
